COMOX, B.C. – A displaced tenant from the Mariner Apartments flood is thanking the public for their support.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the community response,” Tianna Franklin told the MyComoxValleyNow.com newsroom. “I am so thankful to be part of it.”
On Jan. 10, Franklin and other tenants were forced to leave their homes after a water main burst on Aitken Street, resulting in major damage in the units on the apartment’s first floor.
After the flood, tenants were served with ‘frustrated tenancy agreement’ (FTA) papers, which note that the displaced tenants’ leases were nullified in 24 hours.
“When they sat us down and told us that our contracts were going to be frustrated, they did tell us it would be a six-to-12-month timeline to get it fixed,” Franklin said.
The tenants affected by the flood will be out of their homes for at least six months. Once the units are move-in ready, the tenants will be notified in advance.
Since the incident, the public has rushed to support those affected through donations and a Feb. 7 fundraiser, called Helping Hands Benefit Concert, that was held at the Native Sons Hall.
RELATED: City of Courtenay hosting benefit concert for Mariner Apartment flood victims
Franklin said between the concert and a GoFundMe page, a total of $1,400 was raised per apartment.
“That has been distributed now to the affected tenants,” she said.
Whether she will move back to her old apartment is up in the air.
“I’m living in Courtenay, now and it’s nice to be in town,” she said.
The other tenants that Franklin has been in contact with have found temporary housing but the majority plan to move back in, she said.
“I’m one of the fortunate ones,” she said. “We have two incomes and we can afford a higher rent, whereas for other people, that’s less of an option.”
