River Place residents have few other options
Some tenants fear ending up on streets with building closed
As of midnight Tuesday, the tenants of River Place Residence are out. For some, leaving River Place means living on the streets.
The small apartment building at 245 Detroit St. was deemed unsafe last week by the City of Windsor and residents were given until midnight on Tuesday to leave.
Tenants said they're facing down the deadline with very few options.
“It's a nightmare,” said John Bradley, a River Place tenant.
“It's been one thing after another and now we're all basically on the street.” Some of the building's residents, including Bradley, had moved to River Place from “tent city,” the encampment in the city's downtown core disbanded by officials late last year.
Bradley said he had been living at River Place in his own room since then and had initially been hopeful it was a chance to change his life.
He thinks at least 20 of the building's 30 to 40 residents had no place to go lined up beyond Tuesday's deadline, himself included.
“There's nothing (to rent) out there. It's the middle of the month,” Bradley said, adding that for some, shelters weren't an option.
“A lot of us have been on the street. I was hoping we'd find a place to stick together.”
The City of Windsor first issued an unsafe building order to the small apartment building at 245 Detroit St. on July 8, giving the building owners time to correct issues that included lack of running water and working fire alarms.
On Thursday, city officials said some issues had been fixed – but working water hadn't been maintained in the building, so it was unsanitary and unsafe.
Officials issued prohibition of occupancy: all residents had to be out, and the building secured to prevent occupancy as of midnight Tuesday.
“It is so unfortunate that it has come to this,” said Debbie Cercone, executive director of housing, homelessness and children's services, in a city statement last week.
“The loss of these units will further exacerbate the lack of affordable housing in the community.”
Cercone said in a city statement Tuesday they were working individually with tenants to find housing, as well as information on other support services.
Michael Thiele, a lawyer representing owner Yelong Li and the numbered company that owns River Place, said his client made efforts to fix the issues in the building before things were allegedly “intentionally vandalized.”
For instance, Thiele said copper pipes in the building had been removed in recent days after the building's water was restored.
“There was a certain inevitability, given what was happening in the building, to the order that was made,” Thiele said. “I don't think anyone is happy about it.
“It was tragic circumstances for tenants who clearly need more support than they're getting.”
Locals Tammy-lynn Champman and Patrick Law were at River Place Tuesday delivering food and talking to people.
Acting as unofficial outreach workers, both said they've been helping people find places to go.
“We haven't figured everyone out yet,” Law said. “Right now, it's just us helping.”
Chapman said they've made calls and sent emails to local service agencies, co-ordinated food donations and deliveries and even secured a portable toilet placed on the site. It was installed Tuesday afternoon, just hours before residents were due to leave the building.
Both acknowledged there had been problems with the building, but said tenants needed on-site support staff to help keep things in check. Now, it's a matter of finding the right housing for the right people.
“Some people are better suited for some places than others,” he said.
“That's what makes it so hard. They have just gotten a little strength under their feet and having that pulled out from under them. Add the mental health component, and it's 10 times more of an ordeal.”
Chapman said many of the tenants who paid rent to be in the building were discouraged and felt they had a right to be there. Some had found housing for Tuesday night, but it was likely temporary.
“There's only so much housing, so many places to go,” Chapman said. “(River Place) is their home now, and they have to be out.
“I can't give them false hope. We're gathering tents.”
As for what comes next, Bradley said he didn't know of any of his friends from the building that had found places to go. He thought a group may protest the order, but are otherwise facing living rough – or jail.
“When we moved here, they knew we'd had trouble in our lives,” he said. “They took us, and this is what happens. We're thrown out on the street. We don't get a chance to change our lifestyle.”