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City Declares Building Unsafe; Residents Have No Place To Go

MIAMI BEACH - (CBS4) -Residents living in a dilapidated Miami Beach building are worried they may end up homeless for the holidays.

That's because the city of Miami Beach recently declared the building at 426 Meridian Ave. unsafe and ordered the 40 residents out by Thursday. Making matters worst, many of the residents are elderly, blind or physically handicapped, CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald reported.

"I don't have a place to sleep," Blass Rey Cebarco, 63, told the newspaper. "I don't have family here."

Residents admit the building that dates back to 1925 could use some work. Residents live in a bug-infested building where tenants are forced to share a restroom. The recent cold temperatures have forced seniors to bundle up in blankets – the building has no heating system.

Resident Mark Sata agrees saying the living conditions are less than ideal, but it beats the streets, he said.

Miami Beach spokeswoman Nannette Rodriguez said the city is willing to help residents find new homes, but the responsibility of relocating tenants lies with the building's owner.

She added that the city would be willing to help residents pay for one week of housing, but that's of little comfort for residents looking for a long-term solution.

"This is not the city's doing. This is a situation where there's a building with a problem, has had a problem, the city has tried to work with the landlord for many months," said Hilda Fernandez, Assistant City Manager for the City of Miami Beach.

One of building's owners includes local investor Simon Nemni who also serves on the city's Historic Preservation Board.

He told the newspaper he did not know that the building had been declared unsafe until Tuesday. Nemni told the newspaper he didn't have any solutions for tenants yet. He did say he and his partners in Chicago who also have a stake in the building have made repairs. They purchased the building with the hopes of turning it into a hotel, but then the real estate bust burst those plans, he said.

CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed to this report.

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