WESTBROOK — Tenants of a rooming house in Westbrook are in search of new housing, now that the family of the late owner has decided to shut down the business because it can’t afford to keep it running.

The Villa’s 16 residents were notified Friday that they would have until April 5 to leave the facility, said manager Judie Clough.

The Villa provides tenants with a room, three meals a day, shared common areas, laundry and housekeeping. Its residents have varying needs – some with mental or intellectual disabilities – but all either cannot or do not want to live on their own, Clough said.

The company is working with their family members and their case managers from various social service agencies to help find them housing, said Clough. She would not name the agencies. While the tenants are entering a difficult market with a shortage of affordable housing, Clough said she’s confident that almost everyone will have a place to live by April 5.

Richard Moore, 81, who has lived at the facility for about 13 years, said he has already made new arrangements with help from his daughter, who lives in Florida. He plans to move into a similar building in Winslow, although he’s not looking forward to it.

“I don’t want to move,” he said. “It’s going to be a big change. I don’t know anybody up there.”

The Portland area has been experiencing a shortage of housing, especially affordable rental units.

Residents of The Villa are joining a growing number of low-income people looking for housing in Greater Portland as the supply of affordable apartments is shrinking. The low-income residents of at least two Portland apartment buildings also are seeking alternative housing in the area after being told they will be evicted to make way for upgrades to aging properties.

The Portland Housing Authority has one client living at The Villa and will work with him to make sure he finds housing, said Janice Bosse, director of housing services.

She said different residents’ needs will affect how difficult it is for them to find housing, but the timing is difficult for such tenants.

“It’s going to be hard for them,” she said.

Sabina Ali, whose father owned the facility, said the money coming in had not covered the mortgage for a while.

She said her father, Sifwat Ali, had been trying to work with the bank to keep the business going, but he died in December.

“It’s a really sad story. We would really, really love to keep it open,” she said, but cannot afford to.

She doesn’t know what will happen to the property at 401 Brook St., which is assessed at $636,000. Ali purchased it in 2006 for $1.2 million.

“We’re under water,” his daughter said. “We don’t know what the bank is going to want to do.”

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