Katie Sobko, NorthJersey.com 19 hrs ago
ENGLEWOOD – As life returns to normal for some North Jersey residents, others are finding new challenges due to the damage from Hurricane Ida.
More than 70 senior citizens living in a federally owned housing complex were forced to relocate as their building was deemed unsafe.
The residents of the Englewood Housing Authority at 111 West St. had no choice but to leave this weekend after public health officials determined their building was an “unsafe structure,” said Mayor Michael Wildes.
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“The issues in the mechanical room rendered the building not habitable,” Wildes said. He along with the city manager, the code enforcement officer and the head of the housing authority had toured the building on Friday night when the code enforcement officer said the building was being condemned.
Wildes said that the building was “officially marked with ‘order to vacate’ and ‘unsafe structure’” and that he saw the lights flickering, a broken pipe and a sump pump emptying water back into the brook that had flooded the building.
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There was concern that waking the residents to move overnight would cause panic so officials decided to monitor the building overnight with a fire watch in each hall and then move the residents in the morning, Wildes said.
Saturday morning, Wildes coordinated with County Executive James Tedesco and representatives from CareOne before beginning the relocation process.
“CareOne wanted everyone moving into their facilities to have a background check, a legal document representing that they had been cleared and a COVID test,” Wildes said. “They wanted to meticulously protect the health and safety of the residents in their facilities, so they did so thoroughly but expeditiously.”
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ENGLEWOOD – As life returns to normal for some North Jersey residents, others are finding new challenges due to the damage from Hurricane Ida.PauseCurrent Time 0:44/Duration 1:04Loaded: 100.00%Unmute0HQCaptionsFullscreenJavish Rosa, of Englewood, describes flooding in his apartmentClick to expand
More than 70 senior citizens living in a federally owned housing complex were forced to relocate as their building was deemed unsafe. https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=3533
The residents of the Englewood Housing Authority at 111 West St. had no choice but to leave this weekend after public health officials determined their building was an “unsafe structure,” said Mayor Michael Wildes.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
“The issues in the mechanical room rendered the building not habitable,” Wildes said. He along with the city manager, the code enforcement officer and the head of the housing authority had toured the building on Friday night when the code enforcement officer said the building was being condemned.
Wildes said that the building was “officially marked with ‘order to vacate’ and ‘unsafe structure’” and that he saw the lights flickering, a broken pipe and a sump pump emptying water back into the brook that had flooded the building.
All-hands-on-deck emergency: In Englewood, it was ‘property second, life first’ as Ida flooded neighborhoods
Fundraisers, Donations: Ida has wreaked havoc across New Jersey. Here’s how to help victims
Ida recovery: Gov. Murphy visits Lodi, surveys Ida damage and seeks federal aid
There was concern that waking the residents to move overnight would cause panic so officials decided to monitor the building overnight with a fire watch in each hall and then move the residents in the morning, Wildes said.
Saturday morning, Wildes coordinated with County Executive James Tedesco and representatives from CareOne before beginning the relocation process.
“CareOne wanted everyone moving into their facilities to have a background check, a legal document representing that they had been cleared and a COVID test,” Wildes said. “They wanted to meticulously protect the health and safety of the residents in their facilities, so they did so thoroughly but expeditiously.”© Special to NorthJersey.com Outside the ShopRite supermarket in Englewood on Wednesday night, when remnants of Ida wreaked havoc. The store will be closed for repairs and cleanup.
While the building is home to between 120 to 150 residents, many had left to stay with family and first floor residents were already staying in hotels because of flooding, Wildes said.
About 50 to 60 people were moved by county buses to nearby CareOne facilities. The residents had been told to bring clothing and medication for several weeks but Wildes expects the temporary arrangement to last six months to a year. Some residents who are currently in the hospital or staying at hotels will move directly to CareOne.
These residents were temporarily moved to nearby CareOne facilities with 70 residents relocating to Oradell and New Milford and five more residents, along with their service animals, to Livingston.
Wildes was at the building Saturday for about eight hours helping people pack and make sure that they were ready to go. He said that the building is Section 8 senior housing and that the federal government will pay for the new arrangement.
“CareOne stepped up with their hospitality. They made the job of disaster aftermath hospitable and kind,” Wildes said. “It was just a constellation of extraordinary people.”
Katie Sobko is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: sobko@northjersey.com
Twitter: @katesobko
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Englewood seniors forced to relocate in the aftermath of Ida