ST. HELENS — Former residents of the Orcadia Hotel in St. Helens found themselves with a different, albeit temporary place to call home for the New Year, after a Dec. 30 fire led to the evacuation and temporary condemnation of the building.
According to Columbia River Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal Bill Goodwin, the official investigation report on the Orcadia Hotel fire is not complete, as of Jan. 4. Orcadia Hotel owner Jim Bach said on Dec. 30 that he thought the fire was electrical in nature and started after a wire shorted out.
A few of the 15 affected households have begun the application process at local apartment complexes, with the help of Rebecca Emme, a Housing Center Case Manager with Community Action Team. Others have had extensions on their accommodations at the Best Western Oak Meadows Inn, but that will end on Jan. 7.
Eighteen individuals were affected in last week’s fire. Community Action Team and the American Red Cross are helping those individuals in a variety of ways, from extensions of short-term housing to assistance in filing applications at other apartment complexes.
Red Cross volunteers responded to the incident on Dec. 30; Emme and Community Action Team began meeting with individuals on Dec. 31 to assess the residents’ needs.
As of Jan. 4, Emme said she is working with two families to negotiate the application process at local apartment complexes. She estimates that she has spoken to seven of the 15 families affected in the complex.
According to Lise Harwin, Oregon Red Cross Communications Director, at least one family has identified suitable housing, and a couple of others have moved in with their families.
Challenges
One challenge that these individuals face is income, Emme said.
“Unfortunately, the short term housing in this area is nil,” Emme said. In addition, rents in the area are not comparable to what Jim and Diane Bach charged residents at the Orcadia, Emme said.
The application process can be costly for some, with apartment managers requiring a month’s rent, in some cases a security deposit and a fee of $20 to $40 per adult in the household for an application fee.
“These people have found themselves homeless, then they have to pay $40 per person at a place where they may or may not get in, in addition to first month’s rent and a deposit,” Emme said. Pets can also increase the application costs, and many of the displaced residents do have pets. If pets aren’t service animals, she said, there could be a $300 to $400 charge for the pets; even if apartment complexes will accept pets, there are breed restrictions at some places.
Other challenges are determining whether individuals can meet the criteria of the rental complexes, rental and criminal histories can also be an issue, as well as a lack of records. “Some people have never had help in this situation, so there are no records,” Emme said.
Financial complications aside, the landlords at three local complexes have been great to work with, Emme said.
A former Red Cross Volunteer, Emme said that the Orcadia Hotel fire is the “first time that we’ve had an apartment fire that affected more than one or two households. Typically, it’s a fire at a duplex and one or two units are affected.”
Harwin said that December was an incredibly busy month for the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross, and that the fire in St. Helens may have been the biggest incident in the month of December.
“When it’s cold outside and people use untraditional methods of heating, like wood stoves, this is when the Red Cross is really needed,” Harwin said.
Each chapter of the American Red Cross includes funding for disaster response, but during busy times, the organization has to stretch their dollars. “We’ll always be there to help with the basics, but when it gets busy, [there is a question about] will we be able to help with diapers, bed linens, things outside the basics,” Harwin said.
The American Red Cross responds to provide emergency assistance in times of crisis, operates emergency warming shelters when the winters get cold and provides many other services. Those interested in donating to the American Red Cross can do so at the organization’s web site.
Community Action Team provides assistance to community members in a variety of programs, from emergency housing assistance, utility assistance, housing rehabilitation and development, to after school programs for students, Head Start, Healthy Start and parent education. For more information on Community Action Team programs or to assist victims of the Riverfront Orcadia Hotel Fire, call Community Action Team at (503) 397-3511.
This is an update to a previous article.
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