Structural issues leave Langford tower residents homeless over the holidays

Residents of a residential tower in Langford, B.C., have been made homeless because of structural issues discovered in their building.

The City of Langford says it has revoked the occupancy permit at Danbrook One on Claude Road following an independent engineering report it received on Friday that confirms the tower doesn't comply with the B.C. Building Code.

Langford Mayor Stewart Young says the tower's seismic integrity has been compromised because of some faulty support beams on the first and second floors.

The city has set up a command centre at Langford Centre Plaza and it's footing the bill to put tenants up in a hotel for a week or help them find other accommodation.

"The city had to step upbecause people don't have money to move right now and it's just before Christmas," Young said.

"It's much better for the city to represent everybody instead of individual people that don't have money to try and recover their cost."

Resident Ben Hilliersays he's grateful for the help, but the news stillcame as a shock.

"Everyone's kind of pulling through to make sure everybody has a place to stay, especially around Christmas," Hillier said.

The structural issues can be repaired, but the city says it could takes weeks, or up to a year, until the problems are fixed.The building has 90 units, and 86 of them are occupied.

The city says it was notified last April that Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (EGBC) had received a professional conduct complaint about one of its members.

On Dec. 3, EGBCrecommended the city get an independent review of the building.