There is light at the end of a dark tunnel for residents displaced by a recent apartment fire in Chatham.
Close to 100 tenants were left homeless in the wake of the August 25th blaze at 99 McNaughton Avenue West, many being put up in emergency accommodations, including retirement facilities, short-term leases, or the former Park Street Place seniors home.
Municipal officials now say repairs to the building are progressing on schedule and it is expected occupants from what is known as Section D will be allowed to return home by November 15, and Section C residents following shortly after.
Areas of the building closest to the fire, Sections A and B, require extensive repairs and remediation, which is expected to take several months, and at this point there is no timeline for residents to return.
In the meantime, the municipality’s time-limited agreement with the owners of Park Street Place continues, providing temporary, stable, low-cost housing until residents are able to get back into their own apartments.
For more information on the efforts to restore 99 McNaughton, please visit www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/99-mcnaughton.