Residents of a luxury San Francisco high-rise that flooded last month might not be able to return to the building until next year, and the help they've been receiving is weeks away from running out.
More than 400 residents had to evacuate 33 Tehama after a broken water line sent water rushing down more than 30 floors of the building.
"Folks are upset and stressed about coordinating moveouts and finances and finding places to live," former resident Tyler Patterson said.
Patterson formally moved out Saturday and said he isn't coming back, but he worries about his neighbors after the building's developer announced that they will stop paying remaining tenants $300 a day in hotel and housing help and gave them 30 days to find a new place to live.
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"I think only 30 days of notice to move is really unrealistic and unfair," Patterson said. "I also think compensation for moving would be very beneficial to the community."
Most of the building's tenants, including many who had been in the tower's affordable housing units, have been moving between hotels. Now, they'll need to either foot the hotel bill themselves or find a new place to live.
The city said it's trying to help by identifying empty apartments around the city where some of the residents could relocate.
Hines Property officials confirmed the daily $300 help will end in the middle of August, but they also said rent will no longer be required and residents can break their lease.
"With this long period of time, we really had to put a system in place that recognizes that the building is not going to be ready for months and months and months," Hines senior managing director Paul Paradis said.
Property officials also said the building simply isn't safe to return to at this point.
"The primary concern is mold and having that grow in the building, so we want to make sure that all of that has been mitigated, eliminated," Paradis said.
The city said there is no official timeline on when it will be able to relocate all of the residents who were previously in affordable housing.
