DENVER (KDVR) — Several families displaced by a fire at the Maple Apartments in Denver are now worried about how long they will be provided with temporary housing.
Keisa Mims told FOX31 that she was horrified to learn everything she and her family owned was lost in the fire.
“I just started crying. It was devastating,” she said.
Mims and her children are staying at a hotel provided by the property management company. While Mims is grateful for the assistance, she said moving her children to different locations is heartbreaking.
“It’s tough, because my kids have to be staying in a hotel we have to start all over,” she said.
Diana Campos also lost all of her children’s furniture and clothing in the fire. She said that as a mother, she feels helpless when her children express their sadness over watching fire destroy their homes.
“You feel like you’ve failed as a parent, that’s the hardest part. They express that they don’t have a home anymore” Campos said as she fought back tears.
Families fear losing housing again
With the Maple Apartments still unrepaired, the families fear they will run out of temporary housing.
The Problem Solvers asked Avail Property Management for assurances that the families will receive proper care.
FOX31 received the following statement:
“The management company shares its sincerest condolences for the losses that have been suffered as a result of the fire that occurred on February 6th, 2023. Avail Property Management, Inc. has supported the residents by working with the households, one on one, to connect them with services in the Denver area and to relocate them to available apartment homes in the area. The residents are being connected to gift cards, donations, replacement of forms of identification and other community resources through our Social Services team and being connected to local organizations.
We are working diligently to get the residents connected to permanent housing. If households refuse alternate housing options, we are still working with them to find suitable housing. The management company will continue to provide temporary housing and work with residents until each family is permanently housed again.
We encourage any resident that still has questions or immediate needs to contact the management office directly and we will also continue to have our Social Services team reach out to residents daily.”
Avail Property Management, Inc.
Several GoFundMe pages are set up to help the families, including Keisa Mims, Melina Banuelos, the Duran-Campos family and the Olona-Pasillas family.