Tenants displaced by the Sept. 22 fire at Rose Manor will need to secure alternative housing after Nov. 15, when the insurance funding paying for their emergency hotel rooms is expected to run out, the District of Rainy River Services Board (DRRSB) said.
The board has been advised that the Fort Frances seniors’ apartment building will not be habitable before 2027, and there is no confirmed date for it to be ready for tenants to return. In a media release issued Oct. 9, DRRSB asked private landlords, property owners and community members with a rental unit or spare room to consider renting to the displaced tenants.
The DRRSB has arranged and funded temporary hotel accommodation after the fire and connected tenants with community support, the release said.
The board also singled out Rainy River District Victim Services, the Rainy River District Women’s Shelter of Hope and the Canadian Mental Health Association Fort Frances Branch for their support.
The hotel arrangement will continue until Nov. 15, when the insurance funding available for the rooms is expected to be exhausted. After that date, tenants will need safe, suitable and affordable housing until they can return to Rose Manor, should they choose to, the release said.
DRRSB described the hotel stay as a short-term response to the immediate emergency. It said it cannot provide ongoing hotel accommodations or replacement housing for every displaced tenant, and that as a publicly funded organization it must manage limited municipal and provincial funding responsibly.
A limited number of units may be available at other DRRSB housing locations, and eligible tenants may request a transfer, the release said. DRRSB cautioned that local housing availability is extremely limited and these options will not meet the needs of every displaced tenant.
DRRSB is therefore asking private landlords, property owners and community members who have a safe and suitable rental, or a room available, to consider renting to displaced Rose Manor tenants.
Anyone who can help is asked to call 807-274-5349 and leave their information with reception.
The board said the emergency has highlighted a serious shortage of safe, suitable and affordable housing in the District.
“DRRSB staff are doing everything possible to support Rose Manor tenants through this difficult transition,” said CAO Charene Gillies in the release. “We are grateful for the extraordinary compassion shown by our community. While our resources are limited, we will continue working with residents and partners to identify every reasonable option available.”
