Temporary Housing To Run Out For Seniors Flooded Out Of Apartments

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dozens of residents living at the Magnolia Senior Apartments in Northwest Charlotte are facing more uncertainty.  Those who were relocated to local hotels are being told their temporary housing will soon run out.  Some residents say they were notified by property management that the insurance provider will no longer be able to foot the cost of the hotel stays.  The initial deadline to leave was this weekend.  But with the help of the local nonprofit Champion House of Care the city has extended their temporary stay until the end of January.

“Just yesterday, we had a meeting and went to city council. We got the city to pay for an extended time for them to be here until the end of the month,” said Janette Kinard who runs Champion House of Care.  

On Christmas day, residents were forced to evacuate their units at Magnolia Senior Apartments on Beatties Ford Road.  Pipes inside the building burst, flooding many units.  Kinard says when she heard what happened, her nonprofit stepped in to help.

“So my nonprofit started collecting items so they could survive. We were making sure they had medicine, coats because its cold outside. And that they had food, because they had no food to eat,” said Kinard.

Denise Watson is one of the seniors whose stay in temporary housing is about to run out.

“I want to get in. I want to see my apartment, I don’t know what damage is in there,” said Watson.

Margaret Johnson is another resident who hasn’t been allowed back inside her apartment since Christmas.  “The doors are open and I have very expensive stuff in my apartment. And so everybody is walking the hallways. All the doors are open over there. So yes that’s what I’m worried about. I can’t sleep,” said Johnson.

Some residents say they received a notice from property management that their leases are also being terminated, leaving them little time to find permanent housing.

“So they’re worried now that they’re being terminated and not only being pushed from the temporary stay, but they’re being pushed from their permanent stay,” said Kinard.  Champion House of Care says its working with the city and other nonprofits including the United Way and Red Cross to find the residents at Magnolia Senior Apartments a permanent housing solution.