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Aug 17, 2008 12:46 am US/Central
Irving Puts Up Evacuated Residents At Hotel
Food Bank Pitches In To Help Apartment Residents Forced To Find New Homes, Relocate
IRVING (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Sixty-five rooms at the Ramada DFW South were occupied Saturday by former residents of the Vista Del Lago Apartments.
The City of Irving is offering them as much as a week's stay here for the inconvenience of being forcibly removed from their apartments.
"Well, I tell you what, I went to work and I had a place, and come home and didn't have a place when I got off," displaced resident Gerald Jones said.
Jones is among the estimated 300-500 people who are suddenly looking for a new home on Friday.
He moved his belongings to the hotel this weekend while searching for new digs.
Like many here, Jones still had months on his lease, however, Irving fire officials said the Vista Del Lago buildings were dangerous and could suddenly come down.
Hazardous wiring, broken ceiling joints and a litany of roof issues were some of the noted issues officials said they warned the owner about for months.
"It's a shame how the management and owners can get away with this," Jones said. "What they did, it's a tragedy."
Property owner, Harbinder Singh, said he was just as surprised with the closure.
"I am shocked and feel violated. I was given no notice from the city of the closure, and no time to fix the problems."
Relief agencies are helping. The North Texas Food Bank boxed up 5,000 pounds of items that families stranded in the hotel can fall back on in this time.
Paul Wunderlich, the food bank's chief operating officer, said workers had to look for "things you don't really cook," noting cereal was one of the items they provided to the families.
The hotel provided breakfast and a place to store food items.
The city has provided workers at the closed apartment complex to help with temporary housing and relocation.
"They pay their taxes, they expect us to take care of them," explained Chief Mike Evitt with the Irving Fire Department. "They're innocent victims here. They're the ones who had to be put out on the street and we must take care of them."
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