MIDVALE, Utah — Local community members and businesses continue to rally around the people displaced by last week’s North Union apartment fire in Midvale.
It’s been a complete blur for many, as they not only lost their homes but also most of their possessions.
But there’s now some good news for several of them thanks to the Red Cross, United Way and local Airbnb hosts.
Skyler Montalvo says he now knows just how quickly like can change.
“We go from having a home, a happy life together with our animals, to homeless in two hours!”
His partner, Savanah Beazer, says most of their fellow North Union neighbors had no idea how serious the situation was last Friday morning.
“We were all kind of making jokes like; ‘Oh, we’re going to have to have a pool party after this.
Oh, we’re finally meeting.’
And then the next day we were realizing; ‘Oh my God it’s gone!”
Shauna Palafox said she and her boyfriend lost nearly everything in the blaze.
“We grabbed our cat and we have a box that has like important papers in it, and that was it.
That’s all we had and the clothes on our backs.”
But Shauna and Adam Ella now have a place to stay for at least a week, thanks to an arrangement between the United Way and airbnb.org.
Ella said it was a huge relief.
“Oh, it has been absolutely amazing!
My faith in humanity has been completely restored!
The way everyone has been reaching out!”
Shauna and Adam were greeted with a personal note from the Airbnb host, welcoming them to their temporary shelter.
Todd McGee is with the local United Way
“You know just a little note like that goes a long way.”
McGee said United Way officials submit the housing requests to airbnb.org and they take care of the rest.
“You’ll get a credit in your Airbnb account that’s good for about 10 days of residence at an Airbnb.
And it’s just like a normal Airbnb stay at zero cost to the person who was displaced.”
Shauna Palafox said it’s a huge relief for folks who have lost nearly everything and now trying to get back on their feet.
“Just realizing we have to build everything back up from the ground up has been a little overwhelming.
But the community has been helping us navigate all of that and helping us with everything and that has been super helpful.”
So far, 70 families and individuals have been placed into temporary,
Airbnb housing.
The program is open until Friday.
And beginning Wednesday, August 5, the folks from United Way and Red Cross will be working out of Midvale City Hall.
