Contractors helping Southwest Detroit families after water main break
It's been 47 days since the massive water main break in Southwest Detroit.
According to the city, at least 125 furnaces and 126 hot water tanks have been replaced.
Most, if not all, families have moved back into their homes.
While it may seem like the repair work is almost done, there are still a lot of things that need fixing.
The light rain on Saturday couldn't keep people away from the contractor fair and supply distribution on the corner of North Green Street and Lisbon Street.
"The biggest thing has been a lot of folks still don't have transportation. So, if we can bring items here, it's within walking distance of all affected residents," Jimmy Rios, a local plumber, said.
Since the beginning of the recovery process, Rios has been a resource and advocate for the community.
"One question as I was running through everybody's basements was, 'how am I going to repair this? Do you know anybody?'" Rios said.
Rios partnered with Business Alianzas to bring that information to the people.
"They can make contact here, schedule their home visits, get their estimates and go from there to the claims process," Rios said.
Miguel Gonzalez says that while his furnace and water heater have been replaced, more repairs are needed at his home.
"My garage got affected. I also want to save my basement, the structure," Gonzalez said.
Jamie Kaiser says she's looking for someone to reclean the basement.
"My car was ruined, my washer, my dryer, the basement. I mean, they came and did like the furnace and water tank or whatever, but I don't think they did a good job of cleaning the basement. You can still smell the mold," Kaiser said.
That's where contractors like Corey Gordon come in.
"What we're looking at is not just fixing the problem that you can visually see. What are the hidden problems?" Gordon said. "I understand the need that they want to have things done in a safe way, and I want to provide the service for the right way,"
