Unsafe downtown apartment building undergoing repair work

The downtown apartment building that was evacuated last week due to a major leak in the roof is currently being repaired in hopes that tenants can eventually move back in.

It’s been nearly a week since the City of Sault Ste. Marie slapped 138 East Street with an Unsafe Order amid concerns over corrosion to the building’s structural steel frame, a leaking roof and water damage in several areas. While the building is not condemned, the order from the city is intended to compel the property owner to either repair or demolish it.  

Approximately 17 tenants were displaced as a result.  

A tenant who wished to remain anonymous told SooToday that he’s been providing security at the property since the weekend, living out of his vehicle with his two small dogs in tow. “I’m not making a stand or boycott or anything like that. I’m here to protect the property,” he said.  

Some repairs to the roof were completed over the weekend. “Most of our tenants are just waiting for the okay to come back,” the man said. 

Tenants were provided with temporary hotel accommodations by the Canadian Red Cross for a 72-hour period when the Unsafe Order was first issued July 3. Two days later, police were escorting tenants out of 138 East Street after giving them some time to retrieve their personal belongings. The 23-unit building was then boarded up by the city, leaving tenants scrambling to find alternative living arrangements. 

The District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) provided accommodations to at least one tenant, who asked to remain anonymous over fears they wouldn’t be reimbursed for last months' rent by the property owner if identified.  

They’ve been staying at the Manitou Motel since Saturday with their pets, unsure of where exactly to go next. 

“They will not help with anything. I have to do all the legwork — I have to find somewhere, I have to find the funding. Nobody will help,” said the sobbing tenant. “I shouldn’t be treated this way.” 

The tenant filled out an application with the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation (SSMHC) and was subsequently told they could move in anytime. But without any financial means to move into a new place, they say they’re back to square one. “I just want to get out of this town,” the tenant said.

Displaced tenant Angela England is also applying to SSMHC in search of a rental unit. For now, she’s staying at a friend’s place, along with her cats, while another friend looks after her pet birds. “I’m very fortunate that I’m able to stay on her couch,” she said. “There’s people who have it a lot worse than me.”

England says the forced evacuation and relocation have been both “embarrassing and humiliating,” adding that while she intends on applying for housing, she’s already been advised that the wait could take years.  

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I have a tiny bit squirrelled away, so I can probably find a place before winter,” she said. “But my savings will run out before spring again. I don’t know. I’m just hoping something will happen.”

DSSMSSAB Chief Operating Officer Louie Bruni would not offer any specifics of the assistance provided to tenants at 138 East Street for accommodations and other resources.    

“Social Services has been in contact with many of the individuals who resided at 138 East Street,” Bruni informed SooToday via email. “Our staff will continue to support those who were displaced from their homes and may require assistance.”

Meanwhile, the tenant providing security at 138 East Street says his boss — Asim Bhatti, sole director of property owner Asimco Textiles Inc. — is doing his best to rectify the issues at the apartment building amid growing criticism from the public.   

He says Bhatti is a “good person” who has provided tenants at 138 East Street with reasonable rents that include utilities, cable television and internet access.     

“Asim’s trying to help people — they just have to give him a break,” the man said. “They have to give him a break. He’s trying.” 

This marks the second Unsafe Order issued to the property owner this year: In May, a fire destroyed the upper floor of 645-647 Queen Street East, a vacant property in the city's downtown that formerly housed the Silly Rabbit Vape Shop. That property has since been slated for demolition.