Tenants and community members gathered on March 7 to demand that action be taken by either 46th Alderman James Cappleman or the new owner of Hotel Chateau. They are seeking to protect current residents from possible homelessness in Lakeview on March 7. Photo by Jonathan Gibby

Tenants and community members gathered Thursday to demand that either 46th Alderman James Cappleman or the new owner of the Hotel Chateau to protect current residents from possible homelessness.

The Chateau, a single-room-occupancy hotel located in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, has functioned as the housing of last resort for the working poor in the area for decades. It has housed minimum-wage workers, those on fixed incomes and those with bad credit.

The building was recently sold and will be gutted and rehabbed. The residents fear it will be reopened as higher-end studio apartments like other former SROs in the neighborhood.

“If they close Chateau down, where will these people go,” said concerned resident Anne Sullivan.