The residents of about 50 units in a Montgomery apartment complex for the low-income and elderly are seeking a new place to live after the Archdiocese of Mobile decided to close the program at the City of St. Jude.

“I’m lost, I’m lost like everybody else,” said Herbert Lewis, 61, of the residents who got notice Sunday that they must move out.

About half of the 96 apartments at St. Jude are occupied, according to the Archdiocese, and the building is in significant disrepair, beyond what the church can afford to fix.

“The amount of funds needed to renovate the building far surpasses the resources available,” the Archdiocese of Mobile said in a statement about the decision to close the building.

Lewis said the air conditioning has been broken, there is black mold on some walls and the elevator regularly breaks down leaving residents with wheelchairs no way to get to their apartments.

He said a preacher came to his door after church service and handed him a notice saying he should move by the end of the month. He said he has the option to stay through June.

The mayor’s office said it is helping residents find new housing.

“The Office of Mayor Steven L. Reed is actively working with nonprofit and faith-based partners, including the River Region United Way and Church of the Highlands, to provide immediate housing options to all residents,” said spokesperson Waller Griffith.

The apartment complex has historical ties to the civil rights movement. It was originally a hospital that served mostly the African American community and was the hospital that Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta chose to birth their first two children, according to the Archidocese.

In 1965, Selma to Montgomery marchers spent their last night at St. Jude. As a result, many financial backers stopped donating to the hospital and it lost financial support. The hospital was later turned into a medical center and again into the apartments in 1992.

“Considering the historic nature of the building, this decision is very painful. It is even more painful for the residents who must now find another place to live,” the archdiocese said in its statement.

The archdiocese is offering $350 to help residents who are current on rent to relocate. Lewis said that money won’t be enough to help cover the cost of the move. He wishes the church had given him more time or allowed him to save his $550 rent for the last few months to put toward his move.

“I don’t know where I’m going, I’ve been out trying to find someplace. Everything is on a waiting list,” said Lewis.

He said he’s been taking the city bus and driving around town with his sister to find a place, but everywhere he goes has a waiting list or is outside his budget. He fears he may become homeless.

“I don’t want to be a burden on anyone. I’ll be on the street before I do that. That’s my next option right there. I ain’t got no other option.”