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Carrie Player and her husband Norm Shaw have been out of the house for almost a month and are now faced with the grim reality that they won't return until mid-2026.
“It's super frustrating,” Player said. “We're both pretty positive people, but it's getting harder and harder every day.”
They are among the Vernon residents displaced from the 16-unit Crown Victoria housing complex after a fire broke out in one of the units on Nov. 3.
The flames severely damaged the unit and at least three others.
Player said her unit and several others were not damaged.
“We have no damage,” she told Global News. “There is no smoke smell, there is no water.”
Although their unit appears to be habitable, the problem is that the power and water in the building have been shut off as crews begin the lengthy restoration process.
The couple is staying with relatives, but needs their own place and finding adequate housing is not easy.
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“It just seems ridiculous that we're stuck in a situation that we can't seem to get out of,” Player said. “Rents are quite high here. We are limited.”
The couple wonder why rewiring work cannot be carried out so that residents of unaffected units can move back home.
Global News contacted Accent Property Management multiple times, but messages remained unanswered at time of publication.
“Accent Property, they don't say anything, they say we're not responsible, it's the Okanagan restoration, don't call us,” said a frustrated Shaw.
In a letter to residents, the company said: “This will not be a quick fix… The expert suggests that the building will not be habitable until it is fully repaired, which could take up to a year and a half. ”
Sharon Taylor is another Crown Victoria resident.
Fortunately, she has found a new home, but sympathizes with her fellow neighbors who have not.
“It's horrible, it's horrible,” said an emotional Taylor. “My heart really goes out… many people haven't found a place.”
No one was injured in the fire, but one person had to be rescued from a second-floor balcony.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Klaudia Van Emmerik
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