The residents at Greenfield Manor Apartments organized a resident council three years ago in order to save their homes. Residents were threatened with losing their homes when the property owner opted out of his contract with HUD. Residents formed a council with help from DHC, SWAT, the League of Women Voters, Stanley Horn, and Debbie Gottschalk. Diane Berry was elected President of the resident council and still serves as its chief officer today.

The original letter to residents notifying them of the opt-out was written leaving out critical information about their right to remain. After protracted effort, the residents were able to force the ownership to re-issue the letter a year later, starting the process over again.

This round became a battle for inclusion. Residents persisted in their demand to be part of the meetings with HUD, the contract administrator, the county and the property owner. While options that were available, such as "Mark Up to Market," were not pursued (nor even suggested by HUD representatives), the residents were given "enhanced vouchers," ones that "stick" to the Greenfield complex, allowing them to stay and allowing the owner higher rent payments.

At the end of the opt-out process the residents were transferred from project-based to a tenant -based subsidy. While residents had problems with paternalism and obstruction on the part of NCCo inspectors and social workers, as well as problems with incorrect rent calculations, the residents had won their right to remain in their units. The major defeat was that approximately 65 units of affordable housing were lost.

In spite of these regulations, a year later the property owner proceeded to terminate the leases of the enhanced voucher holders contending that forthcoming renovations make the terminations necessary. More than a third of the remaining residents have been unable to find alternative affordable housing. They decided to once again remain and fight to have the enhanced voucher regulations acknowledged and enforced. With the help of Chris White and Debbie Gottschalk of Community Legal Aid Society, who went door-to-door, working with the residents, Greenfield tenants were able to prepare a legal action for Chancery Court, contesting ownership’s disregard, once again, of the HUD regulations and of common decency. Attorneys for the firm of Morris, Nichols, Arsht, and Tunnell worked to prepare the brief, the threat of which was sufficient to cause the owners to agree to the residents remaining.