NE Dade Condo Condemned, Residents Out On The Street
NE MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – Two dozen families are looking for a place to stay after weekend rains damaged the roof of their condo building.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units were sent to the Ola Condominiums near NE 6th Avenue and 152nd Street just afternoon on Saturday after torrential rains flowed through cracks in the roof and into the units below.
Miriam Rossi, with the county's Building Department, said the building was evacuated and condemned after it was deemed unsafe. She said the building's association will have to have it repaired and re-inspected before the residents will be allowed to return to their homes.
According to the Building Department's website, the condo building has a history of roof issues dating back to October of last year.
Many who live in the building said they have nowhere to go.
"It started sparking flames through the electrical wires and I had to just grab my kids and just leave," said resident Ebony Walker.
Walker, who said she didn't have any money for a place to stay, plans to sleep in her car.
A representative of the association told CBS4 on Monday they plan to go unit by unit to assess the situation. She said they currently do not have the money to fix the roof because of a number of cases where owners didn't pay their monthly dues or the unit has gone into foreclosure.
The Red Cross said they are unable to assist those who lived in the building find temporary shelter because the roof leak was a maintenance/landlord issue and not a natural disaster. They did however provide residents with the names of several groups who may be able to provide assistance.
