Out in the cold: OEV fire victims fear they’ll be homeless Thursday

Tenants displaced by a fire two weeks ago are scrambling as emergency shelter funding has run out, CTV London’s Sean Irvine reports.

An estimated 40 residents of a fire-ravaged Old East Village apartment building fear they will be left out in the cold Thursday morning.

Since the blaze at 753 Dundas Street on February 7, the tenants have benefited from emergency housing at a city hotel.

But now their time is up.

Caroline Pugh-Roberts paid $700 a month for a two-bedroom apartment, lost everything in the fire but managed to escape with her life.

“I just saw smoke coming, and I ran upstairs to where the fire was, and I grabbed the girl whose apartment had started and dragged her out,” Pugh-Roberts recalled.

Thankfully, all tenants and several pets also fled the flames with their lives. Two cats perished.

The evening of the blaze, the displaced residents checked into the hotel thanks to the emergency housing program.

“I must be very honest and say the city and the Red Cross have been good to us up until today,” said a grateful Pugh-Roberts.

The tenants were due to check out at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, however, they pooled their limited resources to hold a few hotel rooms until Thursday morning.

After that, Pugh-Roberts and two tenants we spoke to off-camera stated that they have ‘nowhere to go.’

She added that many now fear for their health and safety.

“One of the women is on oxygen, portable oxygen, and she will die. If she’s on the street tomorrow, she will die,” Pugh-Roberts repeatedly stated in fear.

With the tenants estimating repairs to their fire-damaged units could take another week to several months, the path for many remains perilous.

None have insurance, or a place to turn, in the middle of a snowy and bitterly cold February.

Caroline is frightened for their immediate future.

“There’s no beds. On any given night, there are 2,000 homeless people in London.”

When questioned by CTV News, the City of London confirmed the Red Cross and its teams are working to coordinate new shelter options with each resident.