Three months after a two-alarm fire temporarily forced six families from their homes on New Year's Eve, one resident still remains out of his apartment with little information as to when he can return.
JERSEY CITY -- Three months after a two-alarm fire temporarily forced six families from their homes on New Year's Eve, one resident is still out of his apartment and says he doesn't know when he'll be able to return.
Harran Holmes, 25, said the electrical fire started in the front rooms of his apartment at 30 Bergen Ave. Firefighters were called to the three-story building at around 11:30 p.m. on reports of a fire in a second floor apartment.
After the fire -- which officials said was caused by a faulty outlet -- 23 people were barred from returning to their apartments for four days. One resident said she slept in her car until she could return home.
While Holmes said he was given the option to return home, he chose to wait for repairs to be completed in his unit, which is owned by the Urban League of Hudson County, an organization that seeks to "improve the quality of life in urban communities" through education, housing and jobs.
Holmes said his security deposit remains with the organization while he stays with his family, but feels as if he's not being fully informed on the status of his apartment.
"I just feel like I'm not getting a full, true story," Holmes said.
Holmes, who said he was originally told his apartment would be inhabitable again in two months, said the Urban League just isn't moving fast enough.
In a statement, Muhammad Umar, executive director of ULHC, said the insurance claims were completed last month and the organization is still working to hire workers for the renovation.
Holmes, a recent graduate of Lincoln University, started a new job in business development for an e-commerce company in Secaucus five days after the fire and said the past few months have been "rough."
"That's the only thing I have, work," Holmes said. "I lost everything in the fire."
ULHC could not provide a time frame for when the work would begin, but Holmes said he hasn't even seen a dumpster brought to the building yet for cleanup.
Holmes said he did not have renters' insurance, which has made the process starting over even more difficult.