NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Seaview Lofts residents found out Newport News city leaders are extending their stay in a hotel through Monday, if they need it.
This comes after a court order forced residents out of their apartments last Friday.
“Everything can change in the blink of an eye,” said Seaview Lofts resident John Kauffman.
Kauffman said he left with a bag of essential items, but not much more.
“The rest that is in there is like my desktop, my TV,” Kauffman said.
Newport News city officials condemned the building, citing safety issues that the building owner hasn’t addressed. Residents received the notice last Wednesday and had two days to move.
Officials said the main concern is the elevators. As of Tuesday, a city spokeswoman said one elevator is not working and the other is still not up to code.
“We had to switch moving companies for times to be able to have someone that was available to come get my stuff this day, because it was 7,000 pounds of stuff,” said now-former Seaview Lofts resident Olivia Tanner.
Tanner said she had already scheduled to move out before the two-day deadline. She said she couldn’t get help from a moving company until Tuesday.
“I feel bad for the people that have to come back here," Tanner said. “Hopefully they have new management, they get new people in here. It is not a bad building if someone put love and commitment into it.”
City officials said they’ve tried to work with the building owner since April to fix the issues.
Kauffman is staying with a friend but said he hopes his neighbors have somewhere to go after Monday.
“Crossing my fingers that they are sleeping in a bed right now,” Kauffman said.
City officials said the building also has water damage and combustible material in the boiler room. The spokeswoman said they will reevaluate the hotel stay on Monday.
13News Now reached out to the owner of the building and his attorney but have not heard back.
Some financial relief is on the way for residents: on Tuesday, Congressman Bobby Scott and the Coalition of Concerned Clergy announced they are helping Seaview Loft residents with more than $20,000 they raised over the holiday weekend.
Pastors with the group said they plan to keep raising money as long as the residents need help.