Everyone evacuated from Capital City Apartments after the tornado found places to stay and some have even returned to their homes, Housing Authority Executive Director Cynthia Quetsch told the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
All of the Capital City Apartments buildings sustained damage during the EF-3 tornado May 22, including roof, siding and window damage, Quetsch said.
One of the buildings at Capital City Apartments had enough tornado damage that it was evacuated immediately after the tornado struck, Quetsch said. The second story of the building had collapsed, and one apartment was clearly visible from the streets.
In the following days, four other units were deemed not safe to live in due to too many windows being damaged, she added.
Four of the five tenants who lived in the most damaged building were relocated to other properties, she said. The other tenant was already in the process of moving to a different apartment complex and completed the move.
Some tenants from Capital City Apartments stayed in hotels or with family while contractors worked on their units, Quetsch said. There are only two individuals left in the hotels.
The Central Missouri Community Action Agency offered emergency Section 8 housing vouchers to those impacted by the tornado so some residents took those vouchers and found other places to live. Tenants who received those vouchers will vacate their apartments at Capital City Apartments if they find other suitable units, Quetsch said.
"Depending on the amount of damage to their units, people who are in the hotel may be able to move into those units," she said. "You just keep moving things around until everything fits."
The Housing Authority has allowed tenants whose apartments were deemed safe to move back in, Quetsch said.
Roof replacements were approved for all of the buildings. The Housing Authority is waiting to hear from the contractor regarding improvements to the windows and siding.
"It's moving forward slowly," Quetsch said. "The tenants are great, and they understand it needs to be done. I think everyone is doing well in terms of adjusting, but I think people are starting to want life to go back to normal, which is understandable."
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development visited the apartments about a week after the tornado to inspect the damage, Quetsch said.
Less than a mile north of Capital City Apartments, some of the properties in the East Capitol Avenue Urban Renewal Zone - bordered by East State, Lafayette, East High, including some parcels on the south side of East High, and Adams streets - were damaged.
On Tuesday, commissioners approved Dustin and Mandi Long's four-month rehabilitation contract extension request. The Longs will now have until Sept. 29, 2020, to rehab their property, Quetsch said.
Last November, the Housing Authority and the Longs signed an 18-month rehabilitation agreement. This was the first property the Housing Authority sold in the urban renewal zone.
While the front of 608 E. State St. looked unscathed by the tornado, Quetsch said, many trees fell down in the nearby alley, preventing the Longs from getting to that portion of the building. She added the Longs also have a large amount of masonry work to do.
Some of the seven properties the Housing Authority recently took possession of may also have tornado damage.
Cole County Presiding Circuit Judge Pat Joyce ruled earlier this month the Housing Authority has the right to take possession of 500, 501, 507, 511 and 513 Capitol Ave., 504 E. State St. and 115 Jackson St.
In August 2018, the Housing Authority filed a civil suit against Barbara Buescher asking to take possession of the seven properties.
So far, the Housing Authority has only accessed Ivy Terrace at 500 E. Capitol Ave. The garage was destroyed, portions of the porch railings were damaged, and a few windows were damaged.
The inside of the property is "in better condition" than some of the other properties the Housing Authority took possession of, Quetsch said. However, she added, a portion of the basement contains black mold.
The Housing Authority hopes to hold an open house of Ivy Terrace soon, Quetsch said, but was unsure of that date.
Besides some debris and fallen trees in the properties' yards, the Housing Authority is unsure if there was more tornado damage to the other six properties.
"Because we don't have total ownership and possession yet, we haven't been inside any of the other ones to really be able to tell," she said. "So, we're just waiting to get inside to evaluate those. It does not appear there was major damage, but since we haven't been inside, it's hard to tell, and we can't really see the roofs of them."
In August 2017, the Housing Authority filed a civil lawsuit against Buescher for 101 and 105 Jackson St., and Stephen and Cheryl Bratten for 103 Jackson St. The Housing Authority took possession of both Jackson Street properties earlier this year, and the Brattens voluntarily gave 103 Jackson St. to the Housing Authority in early 2018.
The Housing Authority hopes to close on 103 Jackson St., known as the Standish House, later this month, Quetsch said. The Board of Commissioners awarded a rehabilitation contract to Amanda and Levi Burke Williams this spring to restore the property.
The Housing Authority is negotiating with the selected developer of 101 Jackson St., Quetsch said.
The Housing Authority has not received redevelopment proposals for 105 Jackson St., also known as the Parsons House. The Board of Commissioners is still accepting proposals.
The Jefferson City Council approved the urban renewal zone in 2016. A study found the area was blighted due to deteriorating conditions of several properties.