Push for improvements to help senior residents of Good Samaritan Village
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - An Osceola County commissioner says he wants to make sure Good Samaritan Village is safe to live in before lifting a mandatory evacuation order. However, some residents are back, despite the risk.
"We’re here under an evacuation order, and we’re here at our own risk," says Freddie Cantro. He and his wife returned to their home at the senior living community in Kissimmee, even though they were not supposed to be there. "We’re here because we have no place to go," he said.
Osceola County Commissioner Brandon Arrington says a wastewater plant on site overflowed, and he’s worried about the health risk to residents. "What that can do to drywall, carpeting and your air system is not something we want people moving back into. We want to make sure it is safe for residents to move back."
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Commissioner Arrington says he plans to have a team of inspectors come out to make safety improvements. "We’re hoping by the end of the week we’ll have a full-force team going from building to building and checking to see what repairs need to be made. And seeing how soon folks might be able to get back inside."
Despite the health risk, Freddie feels blessed to still have a home to sleep in. He says luckily no water got inside. "We’re safe for a while. We’re using bottled water and hand sanitizer. "Until then, the county continues to house residents in a shelter and is also directing them to FEMA and the Red Cross to help them find other places to stay.
A spokesperson for the community says crews are also assessing damage to each unit. Repairs could take months. They encourage residents to secure other housing arrangements indefinitely.