Hamilton charity 'scrambling' to find housing for 5 men after fire leaves them homeless
CBC
A Hamilton organization that helps men who spent time behind bars reintegrate into society says five of its clients are now homeless after a fire tore through its location on Barton Street East.
"Right now we are just really scrambling, trying to find someplace for them to stay," said Maja Rehou, executive director of The Bridge.
"All their clothes, all their possessions, everything is gone."
Firefighters were called to 319 Barton Street East around 3:21 p.m. on Monday and found "high heat, heavy smoke and flames," fire chief Dave Cunliffe stated in a media release.
There were reports that someone was inside, but the department said all occupants managed to get out.
Cunliffe said the fire caused "significant damage" to one of the apartments, and other parts of the building suffered smoke and water damage too.
Paramedics treated one person at the scene before transporting that person to hospital.
Investigators were still working to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage on Monday. It didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Rehou said she hasn't been told what sparked the fire.
Her immediate concern is finding housing for the five men who were living at The Bridge and no longer have a place to stay.
The Red Cross put them up in a hotel for three nights, but as that stay was looking to come to an end, staff began trying to find the men a bed.
Rehou said she and a case worker have been making calls "day and night" but they weren't able to find an opening at any of the shelters in the city.
"We're really at a loss because when we're approaching these shelters they're all full and there's nowhere for these guys to go," she said.
"How do you tell someone 'Through no fault of your own, where you are living you can't live there anymore. It's unsafe, it's uninhabitable, and now you're on the street?'"
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