CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hundreds of low-income families could lose their homes soon.

The company that leases Brookhill Village in south Charlotte wants to sell the lease. Many expect the buyer to tear down the homes and build something more upscale.

Business people in the area consider that part of town prime property because it's near South End and the light rail. One store manager, Micah Copes, said, "This is where you want to be right now. If you want to be anywhere in Charlotte, this is the part of Charlotte you want to be because it's still growing, (there's) still a lot of room for improvements, so you definitely want to be here at this moment."

Brookhill residents assume their days there are numbered. One resident, Arthur Kelly, said, "Best to go ahead and start trying to save you some money, do what you got to do, because if it hits you all at once, you ain't got nowhere to go."

City leaders say they would like to see affordable housing in that spot, but since the property doesn't involve taxpayer money, they can't force it. Tracy Finch with the city's economic development office said, "It's all privately owned so we don't have a stake in keeping that housing there. All we have done to date is express an interest in trying to keep some type of affordable housing in that area.

"We (are) kind of caught in the middle on this one," Kelly said.