BELMONT, Mass. — Days after structural concerns evacuated a seven-story Belmont apartment building, local organizations and state agencies are providing assistance to dozens of displaced residents.
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) organized a Recovery Resource Center at the Belmont Senior Center, offering assistance with housing, food and other needs. The Salvation Army arrived with its Emergency Disaster Services truck, cooking hot meals for the displaced and offering help with other essentials.
Thirty-five people from 17 households were served at the Resource Recovery Center Tuesday, said Tom Lyons, MEMA’s Public Engagement Program Manager.
“We’re providing food and clothing vouchers to folks because they weren’t really able to grab things from their apartments,” said Emily Mew, state coordinator for the Emergency Disaster Services Department of the Salvation Army. “There’s a variety of resources here that will help those who kind of don’t know what’s next.”
Seventy-five people are displaced following Friday’s evacuation of the 40-unit building on Trapelo Road after engineers found structural concerns. A sixth-floor resident who asked not to be identified sent Boston 25 News a video of large cracks along her ceiling. She reported the issue to building management and believes her report led to the engineering assessment.
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The Salvation Army and MEMA have put up 14 residents in a local hotel through at least Monday as they await information about if and when residents can return.
“I think what’s frustrating for folks is they don’t know what’s going on or when they’ll be able to go back in,” Mew said. “And I know everybody is frustrated.”
On Tuesday, workers could be seen inspecting the building, the front doors of which were still wrapped in police tape. Assistant Town Administrator Jon Marshall said the timeline for residents to return to their building depends on the results of a complete engineering report.
“It’s got to be very difficult waiting and not knowing,” Marshall said. “We’re still waiting for information from an independent assessment done Monday. The town has not received information from the structural engineer that was hired by the management company to do that work. So, we’re unfortunately waiting at this point based on that determination.”
Marshall encouraged those who want to help the displaced residents to donate to a fundraiser organized by Metro Housing-Boston. The 125 Trapelo Emergency Assistance Fund will help cover “short-term housing, food insecurity and emergency supplies,” according to the site.
“The town, I know, will rally and support the way Belmont does around these individuals,” Marshall said.
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