earlier this year residents in several Plainfield apartment buildings were given less than a day to evacuate their homes after the city condemned their buildings now months later many are still awaiting any word that they can return home Ted Goldberg's been following the story and spoke to some of those desperate residents this was our piece this was a Tranquility here and the day ended when they had to come and tell us that we had to leave Marla Carrillo has waited more than two months to move back into her apartment in Plainfield this building on Arlington Avenue was condemned in June and residents got 24 hours to pack and leave one of the most heartbreaking things that we have to go through since we've been here this was our home and we felt like we've been robbed he came back from work and he said imagine you come home one day and somebody tells you you have 24 hours to evacuate your home like Carrillo florencio zitlaw popoca says even though he didn't notice major problems in his apartment he was forced out to you it's been two months and he says there's no update on when he can move back he says he was given five free days in a hotel but that was it another absolutely he said he never got noticed he said it was no problem he came in they posted the 24-hour eviction notice and he had to evacuate they locked the building up but it wasn't really secure so these boards are just from this past week people broke in and all the apartments are basically breached leaders in Plainfield have criticized the city's response to several recent building condemnations 501 West 7th was condemned earlier this month leaving hundreds of people without a home New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs tells us those folks are eligible for temporary housing assistance and that more than a million dollars in state and federal funds is now available for them Plainfield city councilman Sean McKenna says people from both buildings were told to go to the Plainfield Performing Arts Center to find help they go to the ppac which by the way is right on the other side of this building they were turned away on Friday because oh no we're just doing 501 West Seven The Narrative and the story that they're putting out is everybody that needs assistance has received it when you come out and you speak directly to the people we realize that that is not the case councilman Richard Wyatt has also criticized a Plainfield planning board member for racist comments she made during a protest yesterday on a video posted to her Facebook live carmencita Pyle said if people in those apartments don't have documentation they would be sent back to their country she also joked that a truck from Immigration and Customs Enforcement would make everyone run Pyle apologized over Facebook today saying her comments quote demeaned and offended the latinx and Hispanic members of the community for this I am truly sorry and sincerely apologize last week I actively supported and participated in the delivery of Social Services to several displaced residents in watching protests on Saturday around the perceived inadequacy of these Services I felt these efforts were overshadowed and in a moment of weakness displaced passion and lapse of judgment and took these actions that are out of my character and I deeply regret it I actually served on the board the Plainfield Board of Education with her where the population was 75 percent Latino and Hispanic we're supposed to be advocating for these students when when it comes to equity and equality Plainfield mayor Adrian Mapp told me two weeks ago that plainfield's next step is filing a lien against Cyclone West the owner of The Condemned buildings on West 7th Street Arlington and other closed off apartments in Plainfield the problem is all these things he's talking about I'm not seeing people getting housing I'm not seeing people getting hotels you know even temporary I'm seeing people you know sleeping in their cars we reached back out to the mayor and Cyclone West to respond to this story and heard nothing forcing residents to continue to wait for any updates about when they can return home in Plainfield I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news [Music]