Several families are still waiting to move back into their apartments after a fire on Wallace St. in Wallaceburg earlier this month.
At one point, 32 families were displaced because of the blaze on Sunday, March 18.
Chantal Perry, the program manager with Chatham-Kent’s Employment and Social Services division, says she has been told that residents who live on the first and second floors should all be able to move back in by the end of the week.
"Third-floor residents have been unable to return as of yet because the units are still undergoing some repairs," says Perry. "I haven't been able to get a definite timeline on when those repairs for the third-floor residents will be completed."
Perry says some of the displaced residents are staying with friends and family, some are staying in another property that the landlord owns within Chatham-Kent, and others -- who have special needs -- are being helped by municipal staff members with the employment and social services department.
Each of the households that were affected by the fire has also been assigned a support worker to help them out.
Perry says the situation really highlights the importance of having tenant insurance.
"A lot of homeowners obviously have fire insurance, but people don't think so much about, 'I'm renting an apartment, so tenant insurance would be a good idea,'" says Perry, adding that with tenant insurance, emergency accommodations can be covered. "Although there is a nominal fee monthly for insurance... in times like this, when you're in an emergency, it's a really good thing to have."
As for donations, Perry says at last check, the Moose Lodge in Wallaceburg was collecting donations, but she couldn't confirm that is still the case. Blackburn News has reached out to the Moose Lodge, but a representative was not available at the time of publication.