‘We want answers’: tenants frustrated with lack of communication after apartment fire

Several Barrie residents remain displaced after an early morning fire at their apartment building on Ross Street on Sept. 19.

Several Barrie residents were displaced after an early morning fire at their apartment building on Ross Street on Sept. 19.

Since then, the residents have been struggling to communicate with the landlords and property management company regarding their belongings.

Garrett Heighington and his girlfriend Patricia Klompmaker were two residents who were displaced and they say they are looking for answers.

“It’s super frustrating. Like, very few people have got any sort of communication from management,” said Heighington. “Any of our stuff that’s left in there, we can’t grab, and (our) stuff is being held hostage now and we have nothing for ourselves or our son or anything. You feel hopeless.”

The building has been declared ‘unsafe’ by the City of Barrie and there are orders that need to be carried out by the management company prior to October 24. No one can go inside until it is deemed safe after an engineer’s inspection.

Most residents grabbed what they could before leaving their homes and are now wondering when they can go back and collect the rest of their property.

Austin Prechner and Alexandra Rossley are moving out of the apartment building to the east coast and are wondering if they will be able to pack their belongings before they move away.

“We just want answers, and we want to make sure people have a place to stay because we all pay rent,” said Prechner.

Regardless of the answers authorities and the landlord could provide, the tenants would like information and clarity on the situation.

“To have transparency from the place that we call home is what would be nice, whether it’s the answers we want or the answers we don’t, to have full transparency to know what’s going on would be the best,” said Rossley.

Red Cross assisted in providing immediate accommodation after the fire.

“Red Cross paid for three days, the apartment building, they paid for two, and then the rest is being up on me,” said Michael Stark, who was living on the fifth floor of the building. “Having a hard time finding a place to live because I can’t go up the stairs.”

In a statement to CTV News, Canadian Red Cross said they provided support to people affected by the fire on Ross Street in the initial days following the fire before transitioning support to the property management.

Those affected offered a simple message.

“Don’t take for granted where you’re living because I never thought I’d be homeless,” said Stark.

According to the County of Simcoe, some residents have accessed insurance, and others have found short term solutions.

Residents say that have not been able to reach the management company.

CTV News’ has emailed and called Skyview Living for more information, and those calls have gone unanswered.