OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Hundreds were forced to move out of their apartments at Legacy Apartments on Monday with no notice after the city condemned the buildings.
3 News Now Reporter Molly Hudson spoke to one family now living in a hotel with their baby and dog scrambling to find somewhere new to call home.
"We are here. This is the reality of it right now," Jerrisha Rice, resident at Legacy Crossing Apartments.
Days before Christmas, Rice, their girlfriend Haven and their 18-month-old son and dog are now packed into a small hotel room.
Monday morning they were alerted by the fire department banging on the door.
"I just thought it was some Amazon presents coming through and it was not," said Rice.
They were told they had until 5 p.m. to get out. Forced to get a Uhaul and buy storage.
"Now it just seems like the money we wanted to spend on our son and our family is going to other things that could have been avoided," said Rice.
They packed up as much as they could by the end of the day.
"We grabbed the kitchen table, the dresser, the bed, the couches, stuff like that. And it actually took us until 10 o'clock at night and we heard this news at 9 a.m.,” said Rice.
With rent and maintenance issues, Rice says the apartments really are as bad as it is being described.
"The way that everything was put together, there's cracks. It looks like someone was about to fall through the ceiling because of the wet spots and stuff above," they said.
But Rice says it is nothing new.
"This stuff has been going on for years and now they want to fix it with Christmas (being) 4,5 days away. It just seems unfair," they said.
Now they are spending Christmas away from home in a hotel room and scrambling to find a new place before they go out of town.
"We are literally scrambling to find a place before we leave. Because by the time we come back, these hotels, our timeline will be done," said Rice.
No matter how hard it gets, Rice says what's most important is that their son is protected.
"He doesn't get what is going on right now. So when me and Haven are crying and upset and he does the goofiest stuff it makes us feel better. And that's what I love," they said.
Rice hopes justice will be given to all those impacted, But knows no matter what the Legacy Crossing community will stick together.
"As bad as the storm seems like it is coming in, it will get sunny outside again," they said.
Heartland Family Services is trying to help the Legacy Crossing residents. If you are a resident needing help, call 531-721-7401
It is staffed 24 hours a day.
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