Vandalism at The Rise at 19th Displaces More Than 30 Low-Income Residents
THA is seeking donations to help house and support impacted residents.
TACOMA, WA – March 16, 2023—On Thursday, March 9th, a resident at the Tacoma Housing Authority’s (THA) property, The Rise at 19th, vandalized the building’s fire suppression system which resulted in significant flooding throughout the building. The fire department responded quickly and managed to shut off the water in a timely manner, however, the damaged system had already flooded approximately 75% of the building. THA staff immediately began relocating residents to nearby hotels, and remediation services were brought in to assess and repair the damage.
During this process, 50 of the 64 units in the building were identified as impacted by the flooding and will need significant repairs. The total amount of damage is estimated to be between $3-5 million, and repairs to the units will take weeks to months to complete. As of Monday, March 13th, all residents in impacted units have been temporarily relocated to hotels, or with family and friends.
All of the displaced residents qualify as low-income, and many are elderly, disabled, veterans, or families with young children. THA is asking for donations to help those impacted by the flooding. Anyone who is willing and able to help can donate to the Tacoma Housing Authority Fund at the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation.
