Displaced seniors’ hotel stays extended; Charlotte nonprofits address housing needs.

With displaced seniors hotel stays now extended until March, some Charlotte nonprofits have stepped in to offer transportation, supplies and long-term housing needs.

Crisis Assistance Ministry is leading the joint effort with other local nonprofits, including The Housing Collaborative, Be You Be Great and Champion House of Care.

Since Christmas Day as many as 54 residents from Magnolia Senior Apartments have been staying at local hotels because a water leak flooded their apartments and forced evacuation. Repairs for the 82-unit building on Beatties Ford Road are estimated to take up to nine months.

“We’re pulling together different agencies to create a path out of the hotels and back into stable housing,” Carol Hardison, the CEO of Crisis Assistance Ministry, said.

Nellie Roberts, 81, was among two dozen senior residents who gathered last week at the Residence Inn by Marriott Charlotte Northlake to receive food and hygiene products from Champion House of Care.

She’s been back to her apartment to pick up a few things, but many items still remain. What worries her most is how this is impacting her fellow Magnolia residents.

“You just wonder if you’re going to recover from it,” Roberts said. “It’s been devastating.”

Denise Scott, a 68-year-old Magnolia resident, also said the experience has been traumatizing.

“I’m living in a hotel now and that’s not how I’ve ever lived,” Scott said, adding it’s like losing her independence.

Meanwhile, the city, Mecklenburg County, and private donors are working to secure funding for hotel fees, allowing seniors to extend their stays through February, while repairs are being done.

But as many as nine residents will have their leases terminated because their units were the most damaged, Bill Bolstad, executive director of Mosaic Development Group told the Charlotte Observer.

They are looking to bring residents back in phases as different parts of the building are repaired, he added.

“Our goal is to get as many people in as soon as we can,” Bolstad said. “But it’s got to be safe for them to be there.”

Otherwise, residents’ leases will remain in place unless they choose to cancel it, Bolstad said. Those who choose to cancel their leases will not face penalties and will have their security deposits returned.

Those whose leases are terminated will have to reapply once repairs are done, but will not have to compete for their units, Bolstad said.

The cause of the water leak is still being investigated, he said.

Finding housing

The Housing Collaborative will find housing placements for residents while food, toiletries and transportation will be provided by Be You Be Great and Champion House of Care.

This week, the Housing Collaborative will conduct housing assessments for each resident to address each senior’s specific needs.

“By the end of February everyone will have a plan,” Hardison said.

The seniors’ displacement has provided its own unique challenges, she said.

“They have material needs such as food, transportation and clothes,” Hardison said. “Usually, when somebody is being displaced, they haven’t had the total disruption of all of their life’s basic essentials.”

Roberts said it’s been challenging looking for a new place to live.

Scott agrees. She’s already completed three applications, but was worried this could become costly over time.

Finding anything near her rent of $715 at Magnolia Senior Apartments has been nearly impossible, she said.

“I’m not finding anything under $900,” Scott said.