1616 Ouellette landlord provides displaced tenants with financial assistance as temporary shelter closes Monday

Clock ticking for displaced residents to find new homes The temporary emergency shelter set up for tenants of 1616 Ouellette Ave. is set to close Monday. Sijia Liu has more from residents.

Displaced residents of 1616 Ouellette will receive financial assistance from the landlord according to Marda Management, who has been hired by the property owners for emergency management.

Marda Management CEO Marla Coffin says the property owner is forgiving rent arrears and providing tenants financial assistance with moving costs.

“They have agreed to provide $500 per tenant,” said Coffin.

The shelter was opened on Tuesday, Nov. 22 following the evacuation order issued by building officials for unsafe living conditions: no heat, reliable electricity or functioning life safety systems.Tenants of 1616 Ouellette were evacuated to a temporary emergency shelter at the Atkinson Community Centre.

“They have three hot meals a day. We’ve started a laundry service and the city of Windsor has provided bus passes for people to get around,” said Donna Gorin, the emergency management coordinator for the Red Cross.

The temporary shelter is set to close Monday, Dec. 5.

City officials said over the coming days, staff and community partners will keep working with displaced tenants to help them find a safe place to stay while they await the reopening of 1616 Ouellette Ave. and residents looking for new affordable housing options for those looking to move.

“This includes assisting people in applying to the Central Housing Registry for social housing and looking at supportive and affordable housing options in the private rental market,” city officials said.

Some residents have applied for the city’s Housing Stability Plan (HSP) that pays first and last month’s for eligible residents.

More details on the HSP can be found online here.

Any landlords with affordable one and two bedroom units are asked to available for rent are encouraged to reach out to Housing Information Services at 519-254-4824 and speak with a landlord liaison.