Two years after the terrible fire at Somerset Court, local residents are still living in dangerous and desperate conditions, just trying to find a happy home. Among those families is Emma’s, a 26-year-old single mom of four children, who has received nearly 1,000 dollars in fines since losing her son in the horrific collision. A fire has now left her and her children—ages eight, six, two, and one—homeless and with no idea where they will go next.
Emma’s flat in Somerset Court sat on the roof of the building, and she remembers the terror all too well that night. I walked into the exhibition space and got hit with instant sensory overload. Most passed on shoes, while children snuggled under furs. We then were left standing in that parking lot for four hours watching our apartments just burn,” she said. The legacy of trauma from what happened that night still affects her and her children today.
Since the fire, Emma and her family have been displaced. In the process, they’ve moved eight times, staying in five short-term hotels and approaches the move as an adventure! During the past three months, they have made their journey in a caravan. This past year has truly been a gamechanger for them. Emma shared her anxiety surrounding balancing life with two little children. We would like very specific details on when we return,” she said.
Living conditions in the caravan have been difficult. Because of the small space she’s had to shove an inflatable paddling pool in her bathroom to wash her kids. Her one-year-old’s cot takes up the common area since there isn’t enough space in the bedroom. Which one of those temporary places will take me and my two dogs, too? It adds that extra layer of complication on top of everything, Emma said, highlighting her challenge in finding temporary housing.
She’s not alone in her frustrations about their persistent plight. Jodie Mills, another impacted resident, shared how the fire has wrecked families beyond the immediate loss. It’s monumental injustice. The trauma from the fire is traumatic enough, but being displaced creates chaos in our children’s lives, jeopardizing their mental health.
That uncertainty over their future housing—which hinges on the fate of the JaxPort deal—has driven many families to despair. In a bigger sense Dianne Rose expressed the frustration felt by so many having been told of possible departures with no specific dates provided. “We just keep getting the run around. We keep getting told we’re moving then we’re told another six months and we don’t understand why,” she explained.
Even with these hurdles, many local residents are still optimistic that the right solution can prevail. Ms. Wilson, who is currently overseeing the recovery efforts herself, noted, “We’re hoping to have all our work done by June. After that, we have to get regulatory sign-off. And she promised residents that the district is working to get them back to Somerset Court as soon as possible. “If folks are interested in coming back to Somerset Court, 100 percent yes, [September] is what we’re shooting for,” she continued.
Though Emma is guarded, she’s hopeful too about what lies ahead for her and her family. She said she wanted to see some stability after two years of turmoil. “They’ve lost out on that for two years now and I think that’s absolutely wrong. My children need stability as much as any other child does,” Emma asserted.
As families like Emma’s continue to navigate their precarious living situations, the effects of the fire resonate deeply within their lives. Permanent housing remains the key hurdle. Children already traumatized. Families are still doing the hard work of trying to re-establish their lives and provide a sense of normalcy for their kiddos.
