PETERSBURG, Va. — More than 100 residents of Carriage House Apartments are adjusting to life in local hotels after the City of Petersburg red tagged the complex as unsafe, forcing them to leave with just two hours notice.
Residents say they were told Wednesday afternoon they had two hours to pack up and leave while maintenance code violations are addressed. Required repairs include work on the water-heating system and boiler, roof and pipe leaks, and other unsanitary conditions.
Tri-Cities
Petersburg deems Carriage House 'uninhabitable,' residents told to leave
Many residents are now staying at the Quality Inn and Days Inn in Prince George, where they are asking the same questions: How will they get food? How will they get transportation? And how long will they be living in limbo?
Wayne Robison, a Carriage House resident who has lived at the complex for more than 2 decades, said the transition has been especially difficult for wheelchair-bound residents.
"I haven't heard nothing since I've been here. I'm in the blue just like everybody else. All you know is, you got a room. That's all you know," Robison said.
Robison said his new room is not handicapped accessible and leaves him without basic necessities.
"They're not handicapped accessible. I can't cook. I ain't got no stove here," Robison said.
Fellow resident David Cook said, "I blame the city, I blame the county and I blame the management of the Carriage House for this disaster."
Cook also raised concerns about access to food and transportation at the hotels' location.
"The buses don't come down here," Cook said. "It's crazy. Only place you got to eat here, even if you had money, is the two restaurants and the 7/11. I mean, you can't survive like that."
Envolve, the Alabama-based company that owns Carriage House Apartments, released a statement saying it is working to resolve the situation.
"Envolve is working cooperatively to resolve the matter and return residents to their homes as quickly as possible," the statement said.
Not all residents are critical of the response. Some say apartment leaders moved quickly under difficult circumstances.
"I think they did a good job to move 118 apartments out in the amount of time that they did it in," said resident Glenn Harris.
Resident John Mason said he has no complaints about his temporary accommodations.
"It's real nice, and my room is real clean, and I got no complaints," Mason said.
However, residents are largely in agreement that communication could have been better.
"They could have given us a little more time to move," Harris said.
Community organizations are stepping in to help with the transition. Lending Helping Hands, a nonprofit based in Central Virginia, provided breakfast and supplies to displaced residents.
"Right now, food is what they really need," said LaVerle Talley, founder of Lending Helping Hands. "No one came out with food. They came out with clothes. Some of them didn't even grab their medicine."
Talley said the nonprofit plans to continue supporting residents in the days ahead.
"We'll be back tomorrow, Friday, with brown bags, lunches for everyone to make sure that they have a lunch," Talley said.
Nonprofit leaders are coordinating meals and donations while urging the community to help. To donate to Lending Helping Hands via CashApp, click here.
Sen. Tim Kaine said impacted residents can contact his Richmond office at (804) 771-2221.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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