An estimated 175 people in Beloit have until noon today to move out of their apartments, which have been deemed unsafe by the city. Marc Perry with Community Action says about 75 from Countryside Village apartments will go to an emergency shelter. The remaining 100 people are staying with relatives or friends. Personnel from the Beloit police and fire departments, along with other volunteers, are helping to transport the residents.
Perry says the owner isn’t in Beloit, but the city is communicating with the owner through the property managers on site. City officials call it a “life safety” issue, with mold and a lack of heat throughout the complex. Of the 175 people being told to move school district records identify 79 of those as school-age children.
Marc Perry (:18) AUDIO: Marc Perry (:18 MP3)
City officials say while the landlords have been making repairs in areas of the complex, they haven’t been using licensed contractors. Some unheated areas of the complex have experienced problems with carbon monoxide as space heaters are brought in.
Beth Wheelock, WCLO