Three weeks after a fire drove away Kinston Towers residents, they’re returning today.
The Kinston Housing Authority opens the doors to the building for people to move back in at 9 a.m.
“There are some people who are staying with their family and friends, so they just need to know beginning at 9 a.m. (today), they can move in,” KHA Executive Director Rhonda Abbott said. “The people at the hotels, we’re going to do it one hotel at a time starting at 8 o’clock.”
There were plans to reopen the building earlier, but KHS didn’t receive the necessary certifications until Wednesday.
“We were planning to try to open that day, but we got our certificate of compliance from the City of Kinston (Wednesday) morning,” Abbott said. “And that’s where the inspectors and code enforcement came in. We had to have that before we could let anyone move in.”
Most of the smoke damage was to the electrical room and hallways — new electrical components have been installed to replace those destroyed in the June 26 fire.
In a release, Abbott thanked the American Red Cross, the First Baptist Church, the Kinston Department of Public Safety, Lenoir County Emergency Management, the N.C. Baptist Men and the Salvation Army for their assistance.
“It’s been great — it’s kind of what we’re there for,” David Garrison, Red Cross regional director of disaster services, said of the organization’s work with the displaced residents. “And, we’ve been delivering two meals every day since the day they moved in to the hotels.”
The Red Cross will be at Kinston Towers today and Friday — volunteers will deliver a bag lunch, a hot dinner, blankets and snack bags as residents move back in, and serve a hot lunch on Friday.
Garrison said they expect it will take a few days for residents to stock up on groceries, so that’s why they’ll continue to provide meals as people get settled.
For more information, people are advised to call the Kinston Housing Authority at 252-523-1195, ext. 0 or the Red Cross at 252-523-4528.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
FYI
For more information on the Kinston Towers reopening, call:
nKinston Housing Authority — 252-523-1195, ext. 0
nAmerican Red Cross — 252-523-4528