CLEARWATER, Fla. — A woman living at a Clearwater apartment complex needed immediate help after her ceiling caved in amid roof work being done on her building.
Cindy Harris reached out to 10 Tampa Bay after her family, including her two children, had been stuck living in the damaged apartment for more than a month.
Her family moved into an apartment at Bay Cove in Clearwater in August. Harris got a new job offer and was excited to live in the Sunshine State. Their world came crashing down, quite literally, on Sept. 9, 2023.
The ceiling in their bedroom collapsed. Bay Cove officials say a roofing company is performing work to replace the roof and that caused a water intrusion. The family's bedroom was covered in insulation, water and debris.
After 10 Tampa Bay called the property manager, Harris received $1,000. Bay Cove officials told 10 Tampa Bay that they will reimburse Harris for rent.
In a statement, officials said: "We understand the inconvenience the resident has experienced as a result of water intrusion during the roof replacement project. It is important we have an open line of communication with our residents to understand and accommodate their individual needs.
"While this situation isn’t ideal for the resident, we have provided concessions and rent reimbursements to help her through the process. We will continue to work through the issues to make her move as easy as possible."
Harris said she has been stuck living in the apartment for weeks and said her original options were to move out or into another unit.
"That was so horrifying. I’ve never seen nothing like that in my entire life. That was like a horror movie. You heard a loud explosion," Harris said.
10 Tampa Bay has not heard back from the roofing company, Iron Fish, who Harris said was hired to do the job. 10 Tampa Bay asked why this happened and what the company was doing to help. We will update this story when we get a response.
As for the Harris family, they have decided to move back to New York.
People in Pinellas County who need help with their housing situation can contact its Office of Human Rights (727-464-4880) or Code Enforcement (727-464-4761).