DAVENPORT, Iowa — The City of Davenport is putting together financial aid for families and businesses displaced by the partial building collapse of May 28.
At a July 1 press conference, city director of economic development Bruce Berger announced the amounts that would be given:
- $6,000 per household that lived in the collapsed building
- $1,000 per household in adjacent buildings that are displaced
- $25,000 per business that was in the collapsed building
- $5,000 per business in adjacent buildings that are displaced
Berger added that the city council is working to ratify the funds quickly, so they can start distributing them by the end of the June 4 week.
"We want to make it as flexible as possible," Berger said on the family aid. "You can spend it on rent, food, clothes — anything you need."
The aid will help college graduate Elizabeth Pruitt, who moved into the apartment just a day before it partially collapsed. Fate was already not smiling on her before she moved into town.
"We had rented a U-Haul, we took my mom's car and my car... packed up the U-Haul and started leaving," she explained. "But around the 30-minute mark... my mom's car broke down."
After her family left, she told the story of the day the building came down.
"Around 3:30, I had left the apartment to go to Target... and then 7:00, that's when I came back, saw the apartment and realized," Pruitt said.
Not only did she lose her new home and belongings, she almost lost her beloved cat.
"I was scrolling through my phone for any update, and I found an article... talking about the demolition, and I was crying cause my cat was still in there," Pruitt said.
Thankfully, the Humane Society later reached out to Pruitt and reunited her with her pet.
The aid will help Pruitt, combined with support from her new workplace, family and friends.
"I have a GoFundMe set up for myself, and there's been some people reaching out for my Venmo," she said.
To apply for the city funds, there will be a Red Cross event on June 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown Davenport YMCA.
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