Tenants of Red Pine Estates in Bemidji Finish Vacating Building with Community Support

All day Thursday, volunteers helped tenants of Bemidji’s Red Pine Estates not only move out of the building but find another place to live.

After the city ordered that the building be vacated last Friday following structural concerns, the community and residents are wondering where they would go next with a deadline of six days, ending on Thursday, July 6 at 4 p.m.

Emotions ran high as tenants of Red Pine Estates, many of whom are elderly, disabled or low-income, were helped by countless volunteers and county officials.

“It’s a nightmare,” said volunteer Cynthia Tesar. “The floors are so uneven through it all that it literally feels like you’re walking on a trampoline. Under sinks, there’s big holes and black mold. It’s appalling.”

“I moved in August 2019. I’ve just been noticing [the structural issues] lately, but I never really paid any attention, until it really started getting worse,” said Red Pine Estates resident Patricia Miller. “It was six, seven months ago.”

Boxes piled up on the ground and in many vehicles as people packed whatever belongings they could take with the help of local volunteers and organizations.

“Part of our role is to ensure health and safety of our community. And so we’re in here in a couple a variety of areas,” explained Beltrami County Health and Human Services Director Anne Lindseth. “One is to provide case management services. We’ve been actively assisting [residents] to find other places to live or to even remove some of their belongings from this building.”

The question now remains for many tenants: what next?

“I had an in,” said Miller. “But a lot of these people don’t … I don’t know where we would have been without [this help].”

The tenants now leave the place they call home and look to find another place to have a roof over their heads.

“No matter how much money you have, money doesn’t matter. These are humans,” said Tesar about how she feels property managers Schuett Companies handled the situation. “These are our elders. They deserve better. And this is not it.”

Lakeland News reached out to the City of Bemidji for comment. Bemidji city officials sent a press release yesterday stating they have been working with different entities, including Schuett Companies and Beltrami County, to vacate the building. They hope for a peaceful transition for all tenants at this time.

Donations to help the Red Pine tenants can be made through the United Way of Bemidji Area.