Nearly 300 Plainfield residents of condemned apartment temporarily move to Performing Arts Center
For the foreseeable future, Plainfield Performing Arts Center will continue to provide services regarding housing, food vouchers and clothing.
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Some families in Plainfield have now been moved over to the Performing Arts Center (PPAC) for additional shelter services after the city condemned two buildings for having 235 maintenance violations last week.
City officials continue to work with the families that are now in need of permanent housing. Tenants affected moved out of Plainfield High School Sunday night and transitioned to the PPAC. For the foreseeable future, the performing arts center will continue to provide services regarding housing, food vouchers and clothing.
As of Monday morning, it doesn't look like anyone is utilizing the performing arts center for shelter as many families were given hotel vouchers, but the facility is here to use should any issues arise. While families say it hasn't been easy, they're grateful for the additional help. Sixty families totaling 298 people were housed.
Officials say they've been given assurance that residents will be placed into hotels and then a permanent housing solution.
MORE: News 12 confronts owner of Plainfield building condemned for multiple violations
Residents from one of the buildings, building 515, were able to go back inside during repairs. But tenants who live in the other, building 505, were still left to figure out where they'll stay while building owners figured how to get them back inside.
Rashon Hasan, the superintendent of Plainfield Public School District, says approximately 51 families, a total of 253 individuals, have been served through the school district over the last few days.
“We will continue to provide as much support as needed. We will provide support as long as we can but keeping in mind the restraints, we have to get our facilities ready for the start of school,” Hasan said.
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As soon as the needed work is complete, an inspection will be requested and then a certificate of occupancy will be issued if it meets the standards. Officials say they don’t expect that to happen any time soon.
"Eventually 501, once it passed all required standards will be made available again. We don’t expect that to happen any time soon," said Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp.
A certificate of occupancy will be issued only if it meets standards.
Once that's complete, families will be moved out of 515 to begin work there.
Mapp says all families will be entitled to services that the city provides.
Watch below for an exclusive interview with one of the landlord's of the condemned Plainfield apartment building
