City Gives 40+ South Beach Tenants The Boot; Safety Issues Lead To 3-Day Notice To Vacate Shaky Structure, Leaving Residents Homeless For The Holidays

In Miami Beach, Florida, WPLG-TV Channel 10 reports:

• Dozens of residents in Miami Beach were forced to move out by Thursday because of safety concerns at their apartment building. Repairs have been under way at the building on Fifth Street and Meridian Avenue for the past eight months. But the work was not finished in time, forcing the more than 40 residents who live there to move. Residents said they received notice Monday that they must move out by Thursday.

• "I paid my rent, and two days later, I find out the building is going to be closed down and I've got to pack up everything I own to try to find a place," said 64-year-old resident Richard Main. The three-story building has been plagued by shoddy repair work and several code violations, including a subpar fire safety system and a deteriorating structure that officials said needs an engineer's assessment.

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• Eula Imperato is disabled and on a fixed income. She said she cannot just pick up and move away on such short notice. "I can't walk well. I lose my balance, so I have to use a wheelchair," Imperato said. "I don't know what I'll do if I don't find a place." Without the luxury of time, the residents, most of whom are senior citizens, are not sure where they will spend the holidays. "Without money, I'm homeless on the streets," Main said.

• City officials said it is the building owner's responsibility to relocate the residents. The owner has told the city that will be done by Thursday, but if that does not happen, the city will arrange for temporary housing for the residents and bill the building owner.

For the story, see Citing Safety Concerns, City Forces Residents Out Of Apt. Bldg. (City Agreed To Provide Families With Housing For One Week).