Seniors Displaced By Fire Running Out Of Time For New Housing
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - A fire two week ago forced more than 130 seniors from their homes at an apartment complex in Littleton, and on Wednesday they're frightened about what the future holds as they struggle to find new places to live.
The fire broke out at Southview Place Towers on April 6 and many of the victims are still living out of a shelter. The building's owner terminated the leases and on Tuesday night and the seniors learned the building is uninhabitable because of the fire damage and they won't ever be able to return.
A lot of CBS4 viewers have been emailing with questions about what happened.
The Southview Place Towers apartments had 134 seniors living in them who are all now looking for new housing with just about 10 days to find it. That was the biggest worry Kathy Adams had for her mother, Alice.
"I'll just miss it, it's like home," Kathy said.
She's now found a new place to live, and although her place is smaller and more expensive, she considers herself one of the lucky ones.
"We are meeting with the displaced seniors to identify their long-term needs," Patricia Billinger with the American Red Cross said.
Billinger said they've put 14 displaced seniors into temporary housing. In all they have 108 open cases. The Red Cross has helped nearly all of the 134 displaced seniors in some way, but now they need a long-term solution.
"We need to get these people into a long-term housing solution, so find new long-term permanent homes that they can rent," Billinger said.
Southview Place Towers has promised to return deposits to all seniors. The owners gave them an extra $500 and provided some moving help. The complex says they need at least six months to do repairs before they say they will return as senior housing. It's housing the seniors hope they will still be able to afford.
What is not exactly clear right now is who decided that every senior had to leave their homes after the relatively small fire. The City of Littleton says it was entirely the apartment complex's decision to empty the building. However, the apartment complex told CBS4 it was a mutual decision between the building managers and fire department.
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