NATCHEZ — The departure of the Guardian Shelter from Oak Towers this Friday left some residents of the apartment complex scared and worried for their future.

Two women, who are former beneficiaries of the shelter’s services, say they are afraid to stay in the apartments without the safety and security provided by the shelter staff because the apartments currently have no management.

The apartments were owned by Gleichman and Company and managed by Stanford Management, the same companies that owned and managed Brumfield Apartments. The City of Natchez purchased Brumfield last month on the day before it was scheduled for foreclosure.

Stanford Management abandoned both Oak Towers and Brumfield in February 2011.

Alana Nelson, 60, was born in the Oak Towers building when it was a hospital and has lived there for the past nine years. She said without the Guardian Shelter in the building, she will not feel safe.

“I am disabled, and without them here it won’t be safe,” she said. “None of us need to be here.”

Melissa Ellsworth said the building itself is not safe for her two children and the baby she is expecting in April. She said she has not been able to get anyone to fix the numerous repairs in her apartment since Stanford abandoned Oak Towers. Residents were not told who would be taking over the property.

“We were left in the dark about a lot of things,” Ellsworth said.

The women have been living in the apartments under the rental assistance Section 8 Housing program. Mississippi Regional Housing Authority IV Executive Director Lucious Cameron said the authority was forced to drop the contract with Oak Towers once the apartments were foreclosed on and the bank chose not to continue the contract.

Cameron said the women were issued Section 8 transfer vouchers approximately three weeks ago to use for new residences, which they have 120 days to secure.

Nelson and Ellsworth said they have both found new residences and were able to pay deposits on their new residences with help from their families. They both said they are waiting for the utilities to be turned on so the housing authority can conduct the required inspection before they move in.

Nelson and Ellsworth said they have contacted AJFC Community Action Inc. for help through their emergency program, but they said they won’t be approved for assistance in time to move out Friday.

Nelson said she is currently seeking disability assistance with a lawyer since her expenses will be much higher at her new residence with separate payments for utilities and rent and is asking for donations to help with her rent payment.

“I stayed here because I can’t work and rent was so cheap and my utilities were included, and now I am going to have all these bills, and I don’t know how I’m going to pay them,” Nelson said.

Ellsworth said she has been packing up her possessions this week and is asking for donations to help pay for movers.

“It’s kind of hard when you’re single, you have two kids, you’re pregnant and work part-time,” she said.

Martha Mitternight, Catholic Charities executive director said the agency does not have any emergency assistance or housing funds to assist the women, but she said Catholic Charities is willing to accept donations to help the women move.

Several attempts to contact Barbara Stewart with AJFC’s Emergency Food and Shelter program were unsuccessful.