'I was homeless before I got here, so it scares the hell out of me'

Linda Farrington of 11 Barker Ct. is fearful of being homeless when the city forces her out to make the Union St. parking lot more attractive. (Rochester Voice photo)

ROCHESTER - Linda Farrington of Rochester put her Christmas tree up last week, but her heart wasn't in it.

Last month her landlord told her the city was buying 11 Barker Court, where she lives in a cozy downstairs apartment that looks out on the Union Street parking lot.

"I put up my tree but debated about that," she said. "I asked myself why do that if I may have to leave in December."

City Councilors voted 9-3 on Dec. 1 to authorize the city to buy the apartment house for $290,000 as part of a Union Street parking lot beautification project that would involve razing the building and reconfiguring the parking lot to allow for more green space and other modifications.

City Manager Blaine Cox said on Wednesday that they entered into a purchase and sale with the landlord in mid-November, but there is no hard date for the closing. He said there are no immediate plans to turn out the three tenants now occupying the four-unit building.

Farrington, who was homeless prior to moving into her apartment five years ago, said she slept in her car for a short time before finding her new home. She said she is scared to death of being turned out onto the street.

"I'm 60 years old now, and I can't do this again," she said.

Disabled with back, lung and leg issues, Farrington, who doesn't drive, said the convenience of living in the heart of the city has allowed her to live fairly comfortably.

"Being downtown, I can always get someone to help me get what I need like groceries or whatever," she said.

Looking down at her shaking hand, she added, "They're making me homeless and nervous. I was homeless before I got here, so it scares the hell out of me. I have anxiety anyways, but now my anxiety is outrageous; I'm taking extra meds,"

A softspoken woman of 60, she said, "Everything is up in the air, and I can't handle that."

Another tenant, who is also disabled, said her lease is up at the end of December. She said she has already secured another apartment.

A third tenant was not available for comment.

The other tenants, a young couple who lived upstairs, left soon after they learned the city was buying the building, Farrington said.

City Councilors voting against buying the property included Pamela Belken, Jeremy Hutchinson and Jim Gray, who told The Rochester Voice recently it wasn't a good use of taxpayer money. Belken and Hutchinson, a leading city advocate for the homeless, were both unavailable for comment.

The Union Street improvement project that calls for the razing of the apartment house originated in a 2018 meeting, or charrette, between community stakeholders that advised the city to, among other things:

Realign Wakefield crosswalk with pedestrian access

Move lot access further north

Acquire private property (11 Barker) and maximize parking in this area.

Further develop green space

The addition of green space really riles Farrington.

"They're gonna throw us out for a piece of lawn for someone to sit on," she mused. "Let me stay, I'll put a garden out front for them."