Philadelphia steps in to pay for hotels for residents displaced from collapsed apartment building

Residents displaced by a building collapse at their Logan apartment building last month now have to vacate temporary housing, creating further uncertainty for the 20 families who have been living in hotels since mid-September and don’t know when — or if — they’ll be able to return home.

Philadelphia officials said Friday the city would cover a few more days of hotel stays for residents who still don’t have housing, while housing advocates are asking a judge to force the apartment building’s management company to continue housing the displaced tenants.

Around 20 families that lived in the Lindley Towers apartment building were staying in three hotels in Bensalem after they were displaced by the Sept. 14 partial building collapse, said Osarugue Grace Osa-Edoh, an attorney for the tenants through Community Legal Services, a nonprofit legal aid agency.

Displaced residents staying at the hotels were waiting for units to be provided by SBG Management, the company that manages the building and other properties in Philadelphia, but were told Thursday they’d have to check out of their hotel rooms by 11 a.m. Friday. Many of the families still lacked alternate housing.

The city said Friday morning it would pay for the families to stay in the hotels until Wednesday. Community Legal Services also filed an emergency motion Friday to have a judge compel SBG to continue to house tenants in the hotels. The motion was granted and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

SBG Management declined to comment Friday morning, calling the situation a “matter of public record.”

“We are highly disappointed by the last-minute communication to tenants who have already endured weeks of housing instability due to the partial collapse of 1220 Lindley Ave. The collapse was a direct result of the owners’ disinvestment in their property which caused the property to be unsafe for human habitation,” City Solicitor Diana Cortes said in the statement. “Nevertheless, the court order obtained by the City’s Law Department will allow the City to continue to affirm the housing rights of these tenants while holding the owners accountable for their role in creating this housing and public safety crisis.”

On Sept. 14, an upper portion of the seven-story building collapsed, forcing the evacuation of about 100 residents. No injuries were reported, but residents have not been able to move back in. Some residents at the time complained about poor conditions inside the building.

Tenants were told they are eligible for moving assistance payments of $3,500 for a two-bedroom and $2,900 for a one-bedroom, said Osa-Edoh. If residents found new housing, they could request their check and move to their new home, she said.

Residents could also choose to stay in the hotels or temporary shelter until being transferred to another unit managed by SBG, said Osa-Edoh. But on Wednesday afternoon, after maintaining that there were two-bedroom units available for tenants for more than a month, SBG said there were no two-bedroom units at any of their 15 properties across the city, she said .

Late last month, the city sued the owner of the apartment building, saying the property was an “ongoing danger” and demanding repairs to the building and nearly $1.5 million for fines and other costs.

Community Legal Services also filed a lawsuit against the owner, demanding emergency relief and claiming that the building had long been infested with mice and roaches and that residents had lived in poor conditions, including dealing with leaks, broken appliances, and mold.