Local organizations are coming together to help Red Pine Estates tenants after they had to vacate the building by last Thursday due to structural concerns with the apartment building.

The United Way of Bemidji Area is one group looking to raise funds to assist in finding housing, storage, and providing food for 22 of the tenants. Businesses and other organizations like the Headwaters Regional Development Commission (HRDC) have partnered up with the United Way in order to coordinator efforts.

The current cost of providing for the tenants is about $2,500 a day. A week at local hotels have already added up to about $11,500. But organizers say this cost is to keep people safe.

“What really happens is people understand that housing is a basic human right and housing impacts everything,” said HRDC Community Development Specialist Sandy Hennum. “The ability that people can see housing really becomes the linchpin for a happy, successful community is really going to make the difference for us.”

“It is pretty amazing, the group of volunteers who took it upon themselves to rally for Red Pine,” noted the United Way of Bemidji Area Executive Director Denae Alamano. “I saw their posts and realized that there is a need for volunteers and that’s what we do at United Way.”

Donations can be made online at the United Way of Bemidji Area’s website.

By — Mary Balstad