NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - About two dozen residents from the Crestview Towers in North Miami Beach held a protest in front of their building, more than three months after they were forced to leave their homes.
7News cameras captured the group of upset residents as they held up signs outside the condominium, located along Northeast 164th Street, Tuesday evening. Some protesters even banged on pots and pans.
Close to 300 families were forced to evacuate on July 2 after a city engineer deemed the building unsafe. They still have no idea when they will be allowed back inside.
“The housing situation for a lot of us is very, very difficult,” said resident Beatriz Isaza.
Now, months later, residents are demanding answers about when they can come back.
“They’re not informing the owners. They’re not letting us know what is going on,” said Isaza.
Some were able to find other places to live temporarily, but they said their housing costs have now basically doubled.
“I have to pay mortgage, I have to pay maintenance,” said Isaza. “I have to pay assessment, and then on top of that, I have to get a new property that I still have to pay.”
Other residents said they still haven’t found another place to rent.
“I don’t have any more money now,” said resident Ligia Mora. “We live in a hotel, and my kids are tired of that, because they don’t have space to play.”
Many blame the building’s condo association for keeping them in the dark.
“They don’t share the information with us,” said Mora.
“There’s a lot of bad things happening inside the condo association,” said resident Ramez Maachar.
“They didn’t even give us their face,” said resident Maria Echevarria. “We didn’t have a formal meeting.”
Most of the residents said they just want answers and to eventually be allowed back into their homes.
“I want the people who are in charge of this to put their hands on their heart and think of every family,” said Mora. “The old people, the kids, they want to come back home.”
The attorney who represents the condo association did not immediately return 7News’ request for comment.
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