The May long weekend left at least 20 people homeless after two fires, a rooming closure and an evacuation occurred in Moncton’s downtown.
The rooming house and apartment alone displaced 13 people.
“These particular properties were in such bad shape. There was extreme fire dangers, and on our part we had no other option but to close these properties down,” says Moncton Fire Prevention division chief Charles Leblanc.
Big Hearts Small City is an organization that helps fire victims and people facing financial difficulty. In the days following the second fire on Dominion Street, they were able to find new lodging for one of the building's tenants.
“With all the fires and rooming house closures it's been a very busy week for us,” says Jason Surette, founder of Big Hearts Small City.
“When there's a fire or a rooming house closure, there's just that much less affordable housing left in Moncton. We have to try to search high and low for rooms and bachelor apartments for these people on social assistance.”
Moncton Fire says they understand the concern about affordable housing, but deplorable conditions pose a risk to those living in the building as well as neighbours. Some buildings are filled with needles, electrical issues and rot.
“On many occasions, we do request police assistance to come give us a hand evicting the tenants,” says LeBlanc.
Those who escaped the fires are receiving some assistance from the Canadian Red Cross, but they are now struggling to find a place to live.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Cami Kepke
