Plainfield tenants who were forced out of their homes after hundreds of maintenance violations are now turning away from the city and looking to the community for help.

Nonprofit group Angels for Action has been working to find housing for the tenants and panicked when they saw a “stop construction” placard placed on the front door of 501 Seventh St., where residents were told they had to wait for maintenance issues to be resolved before returning.

"That doesn’t make any sense. How'd you start two weeks ago, come back now and say you have to stop whatever you’re doing?” asked Carmen Salvarrieta, of Angels for Action.

News 12 called the city to ask why it was there and did not get a response. Shortly after, it was taken down.

Angels for Action and other groups told residents to meet them at the Ducret School of the Arts center for help between the hours of 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. every day until Sunday.

"You don’t have to have a status for immigration. everybody’s going to be able to get help for rent or for apartments,” said Salvarrieta.

Tenants also plan to gather over the weekend with several attorneys to discuss filing a lawsuit.