Dozens of seniors left in lurch when motel where they live is forced to close
Tenants at Airport Inn outside Fredericton told to ‘find alternative accommodations as soon as possible’
The back veranda at the Airport Inn on the outskirts of Fredericton is strewn with digital lights and lanterns, coolers and gas-powered grills.
Mae Wyile has lived at the motel for 17 years and said it doesn't normally look like this, but right now, it's the only way they can manage.
The electricity was disconnected for the 25 units at the motel on Friday, with well water cut off too. On Saturday, the building's owner, Yingchun Su, began distributing letters asking residents "to find alternative accommodations as soon as possible."
After days in the dark, Wyile said, the conditions are getting desperate.
"Now we're sitting here, with no power, no water, trying to flush our toilets," she said.
"Some of them have diabetes, some of them have walking problems, some of them have circular problems. Some of them are still in the hospital and don't even know about this."
She said people are trying to keep their spirits up, cooking together with propane barbecues, but there are safety risks too.
"People that are on diabetes have got to take shots, [which] have to be be cold. It's not cold, it's warm. They'll take shots that are warm. It's a devastating thing for all of us."
Wyile and her neighbours at the motel, who are mostly seniors, are now in search of a new place to live.
But finding comparable rents like the Airport Inn — rents start at $530 a month and no damage deposit is required — will be difficult, if not impossible.
Wyile said the residents can't afford the prices that are out there now.
"We don't have it. We don't have that kind of money. We're pensioners."
Province sees safety problems
An inspection by the Department of Justice and Public Safety identified "significant safety concerns" at the Airport Inn earlier in this month.
In a statement, the department said the property owner was issued orders to comply regarding the building's electrical system, but "since the necessary corrective actions were not taken by the specified deadline, power services to the property were disconnected."
Yingchun Su, who has owned the Airport Inn for 22 years, said most of her tenants have been staying with her for more than a decade. She said the whole situation has left her feeling helpless.
"I'm really angry that he can do this," referring to the provincial inspector. "And another part is I'm really sad. I always feel really sad for my tenants that have to go through this."
Su is weighing her options but said with the long list of repairs that are needed to comply, she'll most likely tear the building down or sell it as it is. At her age, she said, she's reluctant to undertake the needed repairs.
"The building is over 60 years old," she said. "You don't need a microscope to find out something is wrong."
She hasn't given her tenants a specific date to move out but understands without electricity or running water, they'll need to find a new home soon. Her notice to tenants states she will refund the rent for the last two weeks of June.
It just kicked me in the gut.- Lorna Veniot
Lorna Veniot has lived at the Airport Inn for five years.
When asked what went through her mind when she read the owner's letter last week, she said it felt like "it just kicked me in the gut."
"I've been blank ever since that happened."
Sometimes the light wouldn't go on in her apartment, she said, but other than that, she didn't have any issues. Now, she's struggling to find anything comparable.
"The one person that I did get a hold of wanted $1,400 and a $1,400 deposit. That's just outrageous."
"So me and the guy next to me said that if we could get a two-bedroom apartment, maybe we could share that way. So we're looking at different options, you know, but they don't look good. I've asked different ones and nobody's found anything yet."
"I don't know how we're going to afford the big fees out there. We're all seniors here."
Paul Buchanan shook his head as he watched an N.B. Power truck pull around to the back of the building on Wednesday. A dusk-till-dawn light that served as their last remaining bit of evening glow was disconnected.
"It's going to be a little darker here tonight," he said. "She's making sure that she'll drive us out eventually."
Buchanan said he had a feeling something like this might happen. He has lived at the Airport Inn for 11 years, but has been saving his money in the event the motel might close.
He and another tenant are looking at options but don't have anything lined up yet.
Low income housing needed
Taeyon Kim, constituency co-ordinator for MLA David Coon, called it an "emergency situation," with residents now coming up on a week without water and electricity.
She's helping people fill out forms for the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office but said the options are limited, and finding something around $500 a month is impossible.
"You can't find that today anywhere else," she said. "Affordable rent is really hard to find these days. Most apartments are now above $1,000 and they can't afford that."
She said their only option would be subsidized housing, but that waiting list is huge, and even if they did get approved, it wouldn't be in place by the end of the month.
"So they're kind of stuck. This really highlights the fact that we have nothing for emergencies. We have no emergency housing available in this province. I don't know what they're going to do actually. The only things are like homeless shelters."
The New Brunswick Housing Corporation said it is "aware of the situation and recognizes the challenges facing those residents."
New Brunswick Housing said "It offers a variety of housing programs for people facing obstacles in finding a place to live. However, they must meet a number of eligibility requirements to qualify.
If someone requires assistance, they can call the housing screening line at 1-833-733-7835.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
