Residents of a 40-suite affordable housing complex for seniors were evacuated early Tuesday morning after a major flood in their building.
Geoff Olson, executive director of Bridges Community Living, said on Thursday about a third of the residents living in Creekside, located at 4707 34th St., have been allowed to return.
“We had to do a full evacuation of the building. We’re assessing all the suites as we go along,” Olson said.
On Tuesday, everyone was moved to nearby Piper Creek Lodge and provided with meals, he said.
“For the majority of people, we have relocated them for the next few days to one of our lodges. A few people are staying with family.”
He said flooding started in one of the attics and went through the entire building causing extensive water damage. Virtually every suite was impacted to some degree.
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He said the cause of the flooding was still under investigation. Construction of the building was completed in 2012 so Bridges Community Living was surprised flooding happened as such a new structure.
Until now, there have been no big problems with the building, he said.
“We’ll figure out why over the next few days.”
Olson said people can face lots of challenges when they lose their housing and he was thrilled with the resilience of residents.
“We’ve met with all of the residents individually and will continue to chat with them as time goes on.”
Bridges Community Living, previously called Piper Creek Foundation, runs subsidized housing programs, lodges and self-contained apartments for seniors.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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