‘Am I scared to death? Yeah,’ Deadline hits as families still scramble for relocation after complex condemned
GARDNER, Kan. (KCTV) - Families were still frantically packing as the eviction deadline approached in Aspen Place Apartments.
On Tuesday, 188 units were condemned, and residents were given 48 hours to pack up and find a new home.
According to the city, past issues brought up by residents were investigated, but the recent condemnation was prompted after a fire truck fell through the road, revealing the property was no longer safe for emergency response.
“Am I scared to death? Yeah, I am,” said Candice Walker. “I don’t have money to get a new home, so what, the nearest bridge is going to be my home?”
Walker and her roommate, John Bratton, said that since Tuesday, they’ve been trying to get answers from the city on what to do and where to go.
“This community is who is helping us, and they deserve a lot of credit, it’s not the city,” Walker said.
For two days, they were trying to get answers. Bratton said they were given apartment complexes to call that weren’t vetted.
“They want us to stop packing, moving, to go to here or there to do nothing by fill out forms and get a couple sheets of paper with names of apartments that when you do call them, they aren’t understanding why they’re giving out our information because we have no units available,” Bratton said.
On Thursday, the city declined an interview but said they’re directing residents to New Century Farmhouse to set up temporary housing at the Salvation Army in Olathe.
Residents were told to go to the Farmhouse, which is across the street from the apartments, to get screened.
“We’ve got the short term covered; we’re going to need some long-term housing,” said Jenny Spurling, the Community Support Supervisor with Johnson County.
KCTV5 asked about what they’re doing to help find residents permanent housing.
“We have got meetings going on constantly at this time and we are hoping to have something in place there at the shelter tomorrow to explore what’s available,” Spurling said.
The city spokesperson sent a statement that said, “The City of Gardner is grateful for the partnership with the Salvation Army and Project 10-20 in providing temporary shelter for residents of Aspen Place. New Century Fieldhouse is open today until 7 p.m. and will reopen Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents in need of housing are encouraged to visit the Fieldhouse during these hours to complete a special housing screening. Nearly 20 individuals have already taken advantage of this service.
The Salvation Army shelter, located at 420 E. Santa Fe Street in Olathe, will open at 6 p.m. tonight. Meals will be provided by Hope Market, and shower facilities will be available on-site.
For those unable to attend the housing screening at New Century Fieldhouse, the Salvation Army has confirmed that individuals may go directly to the shelter—no Aspen Place resident will be turned away. In addition to immediate shelter, Project 10-20 will assist residents in identifying and securing long-term housing as part of the ongoing support efforts.
The City of Gardner sincerely thanks the Hope Market for generously preparing meals and the Salvation Army and Project 10-20 for their partnership in supporting our residents during this challenging time and helping ensure they have a place to stay until they find permanent housing.”
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