COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Hundreds of Haitians lured to Columbus under false promises of housing and jobs are working to regroup.

For weeks, more than 800 Haitians were living at an east-side apartment complex called Colonial Village. According to a local refugee and immigrant advocacy group, a large portion of those Haitians are housed in units that were deemed unsafe and are currently without heat or other necessary utilities.

Angelet Thema knows first-hand the challenges of being an immigrant. Ten years ago, she moved from Haiti to the U.S., so she knows what it’s like to adapt to a new culture, a new language, and a new climate.

“Not knowing the language when you first get somewhere, it’s a lot,” Angelet Thema, COO of Haitian Connection Network, said. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s eliminated, a lot of resources, because you don’t know where to go and even if you know where to go, you don’t know the language.”

Angelet said that while she knows the challenges of her journey, she can’t imagine how hundreds of Haitian immigrants living in substandard conditions are adapting.

“It’s… it’s frustrating, it’s really frustrating,” she said.

Colonial Village, located off East Livingston Avenue, was declared a nuisance property by the city in 2021. Earlier this month, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced that the city started the process to hold the lender, receiver, and former property manager of the complex in contempt of a court order mandating improvements in safety, security and living conditions. Columbus police also opened a criminal investigation into the alleged rental scheme.

Organizations like Haitian Connection Network, or HaCoNet, are stepping in to help.

HaCoNet, along with the Department of Neighborhoods through the City of Columbus, and the refugee organization CRIS are all working in tandem to provide coats, blankets and interpreters as families wait to be placed in new housing.

Angelet said a local church donated 100 brand-new coats in a range of child sizes this week. The coats will be processed and delivered to the children in Colonial Village, many of whom are unprepared for the coming winter months.

Angelet said the organization will continue collecting blankets, coats, and hygiene packs for the foreseeable future, and is aware that at some point, the needs will be greater, like furniture and beds.

For now, she said her team is doing what anyone would do when they see a person in need.

If you would like to donate items or volunteer to help, click here.