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Roof Collapse Evacuees Running Out Of Options

By Jeff Todd

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Residents displaced from a Lakewood apartment complex are still looking for help, days after they were forced out of their homes.

Several families were told they can't return home after the roof collapsed from the weight of roofing shingles.

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Copter4 flew over the roof collapse (credit: CBS)

"Basically we're here for a week, after this I don't know what's going to happen," said Jael Andres-Jacinto in the parking lot of the motel she now lives in.

The American Red Cross set up a shelter for the residents Sunday night. On Wednesday, the residents reached back out needing more help.

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(credit: CBS)

"I finally broke down crying yesterday. I'm trying. I've been homeless once so I know what it's like," said Andres-Jacinto, who has acted as an organizer of the displaced residents. "We don't have a kitchen, we don't have a microwave, we don't have anything. Basically we've been paying out of our pocket with the little bit of money we have in our savings."

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(credit: CBS)

The Red Cross has provided residents with pre-paid dining cards.

"This is kind of a non-traditional disaster situation. Any time people are displaced and they're not able to go home, that is a stress that is a disaster related need," said Nigel Holderby with the American Red Cross.

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(credit: CBS)

The Red Cross is working with local partners to help feed the residents, but anyone can help donate by texting 90999.

Residents say they needed more help because their futures are not clear. The property manager has told them he'll only pay for one week of the motel stay.

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(credit: CBS)

"What are we going to do after a week, there's nowhere for most of us to go. We don't know what we're going to do," Andres-Jacinto said. "A week is not enough. For us to actually move into somewhere else that's going to be much longer. What are we going to do between now and then?"

Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.

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