New group of residents await word if they will have to relocate from Plainfield apartment building
PLAINFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) -- After a building was condemned for being unsafe in Plainfield, the residents were told to leave and now their neighbors may have to do the same.
The new group of residents facing the prospect of having to relocate comes just a week after officials condemned a neighboring building.
The residents were breathing a sigh of relief Friday that they will be able to stay in their homes -- at least for another night.
Giselle Melgar and her family live in 515 West 7th Street. The state deemed her building and the one next to it -- 501 West 7th Street -- uninhabitable after finding numerous violations.
Nearly 300 people were displaced when the Quality of Life Task Force started to inspect the building at 501 West 7th Street.
While 501 was condemned and residents were sent packing, Melgar worries if she will face the same fate.
"It hurts because my we have had my entire childhood with my brothers and my cousins, we've lived there," Melgar said.
A day after a city inspection of 515, officials were easing minds -- for now.
"We haven't condemned 515, there's no plan to do that today, based on the conditions we saw, we don't know what's going to happen," said Plainfield Director of Communications Jazz Clayton-Hunt.
Local and state agencies are providing social services to the impacted families inside the performing arts center and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is making $1.5 million available for temporary assistance with rent and security deposits.
However, some say people aren't able to be placed right now due to full hotels and motels and the vouchers are only good for a few days.
And one lawmaker argues some residents aren't even able to take advantage of the services because they have jobs.
"We're going far and wide in order to try to find rooms and we will continue to do that because we want to make sure that these affected tenants are not exposed to the elements," said Mayor Adrian Mapp.
The mayor said the city is pursuing both civil and criminal cases against the landlords in the case, Cyclone West, LLC.
Contractors were seen Friday working to fix the violations, but it is unclear when the work will be complete.
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