3 Saint John families left homeless after heavy rain

Five adults and seven children in Saint John are homeless after their north-end apartment building was declared unsafe following several days of heavy rain.

In a neighbourhood where buildings are often damaged by fire, it was the rain that forced three families out of their homes this week.

Several days of wet weather caused a buildup of water, which damaged the building's electricity.

The Saint John Fire Department decided the apartment building was no longer safe and shut off the power. The three families were forced to move into a hotel.

The situation is a bit of an unusual one for the Canadian Red Cross, which mostly helps people find shelter after fires or major floods.

Bill Lawlor, the director of disaster management with the Canadian Red Cross in New Brunswick, said they may need to step in more often with a growing focus on derelict buildings in Saint John.

"When people are paying their monthly rent, they make arrangements with their landlord. They expect they're going to have a safe location to live and stay with their families,” Lawlor said.

“In this situation it appears that was not the case, so it certainly is a concern to us."

The apartment building’s owner will have to get the building back up to code before tenants can move back in.

If the building is not brought back up to code, it could end up on Saint John’s watch list, which means city inspectors will be checking in on the building.

Amy Poffenroth, the deputy commissioner of buildings and inspection services in Saint John, said landlords can find themselves under the city’s microscope if they ignore orders to fix up their buildings.

“If the tenants have moved out, and the owner chooses not to make the repairs to make it in a condition that it is occupiable, then we would monitor it for its condition if it complies with the dangerous buildings bylaw,” Poffenroth said.

The city brought 12 dangerous building cases to court last year, issuing about $22,000 in fines.