Residents displaced by Miami fire frustrated as they approach 2 months of living in motel

Editor’s Note: After this story was published, Atlantic Housing Management responded to two comments made by Commissioner Christine King. We included the company’s response after the comments in question below.

Frustration and disappointment, that’s what residents displaced by the fire at Miami's Temple Court Apartment say they’ve been feeling after living in a Motel 6 for almost two months.

“We need them to give us a place to live please,” Darsy Peña said in Spanish Thursday.

“We’re waiting and waiting to be relocated,” said Josefa Morales, also speaking Spanish.

Peña and Morales are among the more than 60 people who were forced from their homes at the Temple Court Apartments when their building went up in flames on June 10.

Following the 3-alarm fire, the building was deemed unsafe and demolished. Many residents were not able to salvage anything not even their personal documents.

“We are disappointed because we don’t see an end to this story,” said Morales.

NBC6 reported you last week how the arson charge against Juan Figueroa was dropped because of insufficient evidence, a development that angered displaced residents.

District 5 Commissioner Christine King said those residents who lost their homes haven’t been forgotten.

“We have enough units to house every single one of the seniors it’s not a matter of ‘if’ it is only a matter of ‘when’,” said King.

King said the Department of Housing and Urban Development is ready to give the seniors emergency vouchers but first they’re waiting on Atlantic Housing Foundation which owns the Temple Court Apartments.

“It is a process, and we have to respect the process,” said King. “Temple Court has first right of refusal and they’re doing everything they can to relocate the seniors to their properties but if that doesn’t happen or if they’re not able to house all of the seniors HUD will issue the emergency vouchers and even give the seniors an opportunity to get section 8 vouchers and move elsewhere.”

Atlantic Housing Management later refuted what King had said. In a follow-up after the original story was posted, a spokesperson for the property manager said, “We are not delaying the relocation of residents in order to house them in Atlantic Housing Foundation (AHF) properties. This was never a viable solution as AHF does not own any other project based section 8 housing in Florida. To date, we have not been made aware of any available emergency vouchers for our Residents. If the City has more information, we would welcome it.” 

King said the city has identified three potential areas where the seniors can be moved to if needed. They include Sawyer’s Walk in Historic Overtown, Camillus House has also identified available units and affordable housing developer Related Group has signaled it too has available units for the displaced seniors.

Atlantic Housing Management again refuted that these properties are viable options. In an updated statement a spokesperson said “Camillus House provides immediate short-term housing. While Camillus House has a Rapid Rehousing program, this caters specifically to individuals with immediate needs, such as homelessness or substance abuse. It would not be a long-term solution for our Residents. Related Group only accepts public housing choice vouchers, so they could not house our residents either.”

We know our Temple Court residents are tired of being in this temporary housing and very ready to move into their new homes. We are working daily to find options for alternative housing for them and are in regular communication with HUD and other governmental departments to discuss our progress. We have found some promising possibilities that we believe will be great options, and are working with different organizations and entities to ensure we are complying with all federal, state, and local requirements. We will provide an update as soon as a solution is established. 

Donations continue to pour in for those living at the Motel 6 on Northwest 36^th Street.

Morales and Peña are thankful for the help but with each passing day they said it’s hard to keep their spirits up.

In a statement initially sent to NBC6, Atlantic Housing Management said:

We would like to express our utmost gratitude for the Miami city officials, local nonprofits, and businesses that are continuing to meet residents’ immediate needs. We are regularly communicating with HUD and pursuing all available options for alternative housing for our displaced Temple Court residents. We have found some promising possibilities for long-term housing that we believe will be great options for the residents. We will share more once a solution is established. 

This group of Temple Court seniors has been through so much, and we see them persevering through this very difficult time. They continue to need help and support from the community as they begin to rebuild their lives. Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc, the owner of Temple Court, is donating $100,000 to benefit the residents, and has set up a GoFundMe for others to donate to this cause: https://gofund.me/535d4ae6. We’re asking the Miami community and anyone else touched by this tragedy to help us double the impact. Every dollar donated will help these seniors to replace their belongings and get back on their feet. 

Commissioner King said she hopes to have all the residents in permanent affordable housing by the end of August.