Community Helping Relocate Residents Of Red-Tagged Apartment Building
Feb 15, 2019, 6:50 AM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The community has jumped in to help residents of an apartment who have until Saturday to move out.
The tenants were originally told to be out Thursday, but that deadline was extended a couple of days. It’s still not a lot of time to move, as anyone who’s had to do so knows. Luckily, volunteers have been coming forward with moving trucks and muscle to help out.
Volunteers stepping up to help residents at the Georgia Apartments move after their building was deemed unsafe to occupy & told to vacate. Details @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/HMZIoiLcbu
— Felicia Martinez (@FeliciaNews) February 15, 2019
“If they have a moving truck and they have some strong arms, we could definitely use some help to move some amazing residents into their new places,” said one volunteer.
The Salt Lake City Fire Department issued the evacuation notice for the Georgia Apartments at 200 East and 2100 South on Feb. 11 due to safety violations. The violations included fire escapes that weren’t properly certified, electrical wiring that wasn’t up to code, missing fire extinguishers, missing smoke detectors and obstructed building exits.
According to a news release, the city repeatedly sent notices to the building’s owner requesting that the building be brought up to code.
A spokesperson from the office of Mayor Jackie Biskupski said the city is working with residents to find them new homes, but some are having trouble qualifying for housing.
The city’s Housing and Development Office has been helping those tenants find affordable units elsewhere.
Twenty-four of the 31 units have found new housing.
