Fight or potentially become homeless. That's the situation facing those living in Terrace Forty in Chatham as their new landlord tries to get them to leave their home.
Residents of every unit in the apartment building were recently served with two notices stating that they would have to leave due to necessary renovations. Each was told they could return after eight months of work, with no guarantee of keeping their current rent, or terminate their lease for $5,000.
Some have decided to go with a third option: fight back. This is the case for Gord Harvey and his wife Joanne, who've lived at Terrace Forty for nine years.
Harvey told CK News Today that everything started in December, when they were told the building had been sold. Fast forward to January 16, when each unit was given the notices.
Understandably, this caused a lot of panic throughout the building.
"There's a fair number of people in here that are saying they may be homeless," Harvey explained.
The average cost of rent at Terrace Forty is between $850 and $900 per month. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Chatham as of October 2025 is just under $1,300 per month.
Since there's been no guarantee that rent will stay the same, many are trying to figure out whether they can afford to keep a roof over their heads if the cost was to increase drastically.
This situation is not unique to places like Terrace Forty. It didn't take long for those living in the building to figure this out, as the notices they received listed the wrong address. Instead, it mentioned 70 Devonshire, a building in Tillsonburg where tenants were also recently given notices to leave due to renovations.
"We found that it seems to be a common occurrence," added Harvey.
It's unclear at this time whether the same person or company owns both buildings.
A meeting for those living at Terrace Forty was held on Tuesday, with representatives from the CK Legal Clinic offering advice for those who want to fight and those who'd rather take the $5,000 and find a new place to live.
So far, tenants in 32 of the 40 units have said they would rather fight back than move out. Jeff Wilkins, a paralegal with the CK Legal Clinic, believes that number will continue to rise.
In attendance at the meeting were Mayor Darrin Canniff and Councillors Marjorie Crew, Michael Bondy, and Alysson Storey.
Harvey said these members of Chatham-Kent's council were extremely supportive. The biggest form of support came from Crew, who introduced a motion at council's Monday meeting to ensure all planned renovations or demolitions that would force people to move are necessary.
This motion will be discussed at the February 9 council meeting.
"The quicker we can get some protection like this in the community... it just makes it better for everyone," said Harvey.
He's hoping to see a large number of people attend the meeting specifically for this motion.
CK News Today attempted to reach out to the company that owns Terrace Forty, but didn't get a response.
