SANDUKSY, Ohio — After all the rain last week, 65 families have just been told their apartments are condemned by the Sandsuky Building Department and the Huron Township Building Department because of unsanitary and unsafe living conditions.
Monarch Investment and Management Group confirms basement apartments are affected at Foxborough Commons, Sandpiper, Monticello Arms, and Crossings at Remington.
This leaves families across the Sandusky area scrambling for a place to live and fast.
Tyler Johnson lives at Foxborough Commons. He said he got a condemned notice on his door on Monday, Aug. 28.
Monarch Investment and Management Group sent News 5 this statement:
"Due to the unprecedented rainfall during the storm last week, multiple apartments have been deemed uninhabitable by the City. It is with a heavy heart that we must follow through with the terms of conditions that have been handed down to us from the health department and the City enforcement in an effort to put the health and safety of our residents first. We are working with the local agencies as well as the Residents to help in their transition from the property. We aim to work directly with all impacted. This is an extremely unfortunate situation for all involved, and we will work through the restoration process, in conjunction with the City, to make impacted apartments available for the displaced residents as soon as possible. We recognize this is a significant disruption for all impacted residents. Again, it is for the health and safety of our Residents that these units have been taken offline."
Looking around Johnson's basement apartment, you can't see any water damage or flooding, but Johnson said inspectors scanned the walls with a thermal gun, "They told me that there was some storm damage and that there was water in the walls," said Johnson.
Johnson and his 3-year-old dog Cody, along with many other families, have been told to be out in 7 days, by Sept. 5 by midnight.
"It's just really unfortunate. We have all these families here that only have a week to get out of their house," said Johnson.
Johnson is busy looking for a new place to stay that will accept Cody too, "It's definitely a struggle because he's lived here for 3 years too," said Johnson.
News 5 reached out to the Sandusky Building Department and the Huron Building Department about the inspections and unsanitary conditions and are waiting to hear back.
While families move out, the American Red Cross of Northern Ohio and the Erie County Emergency Management Agency are opening up a place for families to stay.
"Our hope is to open the shelter either tomorrow afternoon or evening, but at the very latest on Thursday morning," said Jim McIntyre, Regional Communications Director with Red Cross of Northern Ohio.
Because of the immediate need for the shelter, the Red Cross just finalized plans for the space. When the shelter will open, its location, and time of opening is yet to be determined.
So far, the Red Cross said it has helped more than 200 families with storm damage, giving out more than $40,000.
With severe weather happening across the country, getting a shelter open quickly won't be easy.
"It's going to be a challenge because we have more than a dozen disaster workers who are deployed to three different disasters across the country and Hawaii, California, and Florida in anticipation of the hurricane," said McIntyre.
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