After being displaced from their homes by code violations found during the past month, previous tenants of two Westbrook buildings are looking to move on.
Code violations in buildings on Brackett and Main streets in the city left 36 people without homes. On Tuesday, Westbrook Code Enforcement Officer David Fenochetti said the tenants of both buildings are either moving or actively searching for new housing, pointing to the fact that there is considerable work left to do in each building before tenants would be allowed to return.
For the 13 residents displaced last week from 683 Main St., Fenochetti said, the owner of the building, First National Bank, has seen the extent of damage, and is assisting the tenants in a housing search.
“They have signed an agreement with the bank and will go find other places to live,” he said.
Last week, the bank, through a property management company, paid for all the tenants to stay at a local hotel, which, Fenochetti said, will continue for another few weeks until tenants find alternative or permanent housing.
“The bank has seen pictures from the property manager, and it is a lot bigger job than they thought it was going to be,” Fenochetti said.
On July 7, Westbrook Code Enforcement condemned the Main Street building after finding dangerous electrical issues, which officials called “identical” to the issues that led to 158 Bracket St. being condemned a few weeks earlier. Westbrook Fire Inspector Michael Corey said each building had multiple electrical issues, including sparking and soot near receptacles.
Fenochetti said one of the families from Brackett Street is moving into a new apartment this week, while the other is currently searching.
Teresa Needham, who was forced out of her home along with her husband and four children, said the family has found an apartment on North Street, and is excited that “we get to stay in Westbrook.”
The building owner, Bruce Hepler, has declined to comment, but Fenochetti said Hepler has hired an electrician and contractors to work on the building.
-Andrew Rice
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