Residents of a downtown Windsor highrise building that caught fire in early November are demanding they be allowed to stay in hotels on their landlord's dime.
The fire, on November 12, was on the second floor of the parking garage at Westcourt Place, but the tenants have not been allowed to return since.
They were staying in hotels across the city but said Westcourt Place Residences had stopped paying for accommodations on December 5. However, on December 18, a message on the building's official Facebook page warned tenants they could be out of their homes for months while repairs continue.
"Given the amount of time you are expected to be out of your apartments, we are encouraging residents to pursue alternative, stable housing," the message read. "Our management team is collecting rental listings in the neighbourhood and is happy to assist you with your housing search."
The residents were planning a rally in front of Windsor City Hall Tuesday morning to back their demands, but Mayor Drew Dilkens said when he went to greet them, they were nowhere to be found.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens July 9, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
Dilkens is sympathetic to the residents' plight. Immediately after the fire, Windsor City Hall and the WFCU Centre were opened to house those who had nowhere else to go. He said some of those residents are being housed, by the city.
"We have several folks, who because of their condition are staying at motels on Howard Avenue, as an example, that are being funded by city dollars," he said. "Our goal was to make sure no one was left on the street and we've done that."
Dilkens could not say how many people were being housed by the city but said city staff had been in communication with the property owner.
He also reminded BlackburnNews.com the city is also a tenant. The Provincial Offences Office is located in the Westcourt Place building.
"The official demands for the protest are for the President, Joey Schwebel, to work with the City of Windsor, to pay for people's hotels for the duration of the displacement," read a Facebook page administered by the tenants.
Meanwhile, a petition calling on the property company to foot the bill for hotel accommodations until the tenants can return home, and provide a clear timeline for repairs is closing in on 400 signatures.
"The decision has left a sizeable group of vulnerable people in a very dangerous situation," read the petition. "Some of these residents have been forced into local homeless shelters, where they are subject to potential theft, harassment, and violence."
The petition also suggested the tenants have a list of concerns about the building going back before the fire.
"Westcourt Place had a long history of maintenance issues prior to the fire, including problems with bedbugs. The cause of the fire is attributed directly to the owner's neglect of the property," it continued.
Windsor Fire and Rescue Services blamed the fire on an electrical fault and listed it as accidental.
A class-action lawsuit has also been filed by Strosberg Sasso Sutts LLP in a bid to recoup financial losses suffered by both the residential and commercial tenants.
