On Friday, the Hamilton YMCA were told they can start moving people back into the second floor of the residence.
The building has been off limits since last week when it was extensively damaged by fire that forced 173 men out of their homes.
READ MORE: ‘Not knowing is the hardest part’: Hundreds of men displaced by fire at YMCA in Hamilton
For a week and a half, many of the men from the YMCA residence have been living in the Y’s gym. They haven’t been able to go home since the fire broke out on the third floor of the residence on July 22.
The plan is to let 42 men back into their homes on the second floor on Thursday was delayed by a fire inspection.
Now that the second floor has been cleared, they’re hoping other residents can move back in soon, except for the third floor which needs extensive renovation.
READ MORE: ‘Tremendous time of crisis’: update given after YMCA Hamilton fire
There is still no word on the exact cause of this fire. The fire marshall was called in to investigate.
YMCA CEO Manny Figueiredo told CHCH News, “We know which unit it was on the third floor, they said it wasn’t mechanical, it wasn’t electrical, and it wasn’t something that would have been smoldering. It would have been something more severe, we still don’t have the true cause of it.”
The YMCA says the damage is over a million dollars.
Frustration is building among some of the residents. One resident said, “You’ve got a blanket, a cot, and you’ve got one bathroom for 170 guys.”
The YMCA says they’ve been told by the city that this fire almost doubled the number of homeless men in Hamilton. “We can no longer at the Y do this alone,” Figueiredo said.
READ MORE: Downtown Hamilton YMCA residents displaced by fire given timeline on return
They say this fire points to the huge need for housing and services in the city.
Figueiredo told CHCH News, “The needs are intense. We have a waiting list of about 200 people prior to this fire. 90 per cent of the men don’t have a primary health care practitioner, about three quarters suffer from some kind of mental health addiction piece. What this has raised is that we need some permanent solutions for some of these men.”
They also say the community response has been incredible with more than $100,000 in donations.
Other social service agencies are offering beds including Laurier University in Brantford.
They hope to start re-opening most of the residence and the fitness facilities in the coming weeks. They will continue to look for permanent housing for the 42 men who can’t go home to the third floor.
READ MORE: 24 people rescued, 11 in hospital after multiple-alarm fire at downtown Hamilton YMCA
