On May 17, fire forced 48 adults and children from their apartments at 48 Wellington St. in Port Hope. The blaze destroyed the roof and top floor and caused extensive smoke and water damage to the two lower floors.
There were no injuries but four cats remain missing and unaccounted for.
Some residents found shelter with family and friends but a number are still in local hotels, where the Salvation Army is subsidizing the costs.
If the apartment building cannot be repaired, all those displaced will have to live somewhere else. And it’s not a case of the families not being able to find housing they like — but of finding anything at all.
“We had a situation in December where one of our shelters was closed down, that’s 15 families and now we have this building which was 24 households on top of that so it’s very, very hard to find somewhere to go because there’s nothing in this area,” Lisa Graham of the Salvation Army said.
The Salvation Army is also collecting clothing and household items for the fire victims when they do find a place to live. Donations are being held in a vacant property owned by local businessman Walter Hillman and Graham says while much has been dropped off, they are still looking for some specific items.
“”The biggest need is household items, smaller appliances, lamps, toasters, microwaves, big furniture for when they do find a place,” Graham said.
Residents CHEX News spoke to expressed frustration with delays in entering their heavily damaged building to try to salvage what they can.
They have been told by the building’s owners that there is asbestos contamination on the site and they must wear protective gear before they can get in and see what survived the fire.
Anyone with donations is asked to call the Salvation Army in Port Hope at 905-886-2323.
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