AUSTINTOWN, Ohio - The 140 people displaced from Phoenix House in Austintown following the November 24, 2025 explosion are continuing to search for answers.

While nonprofits continue to keep in touch and provide a roof over their heads, residents are not getting answers from management.

At a meeting hosted by assisting nonprofits, residents appeared frustrated, saying they don't know when they can return home, or even get more of their belongings out of the building.

“We're trying to find out whether we can get our stuff back, but we might be moving back. Who knows? So we got to wait on that,” said Ira Clark, Phoenix House resident.

Community Legal Aid spoke to those with questions, trying to help any way they can. The group is planning to submit a FOIA request with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in an attempt to get any information on a timeline of returning.

“The owner should have been filing records with HUD that would set forth their plan moving forward, and that is supposed to have a timeline attached to it, so we'll be seeking those records to see what we can find out,” said Patricia Dougan, Community legal aid staff attorney. “At the end of the 12 months, if it looks like they're not going to be able to go back to their unit, there are some provisions for helping them get settled in different groups of permanent housing.”

No timeline from management was sent to any of the 140 residents in the over two months displaced. 

“We are trying to get the information as hard as you guys are from the management,” said Roxann Sebest,  vice president of United Way.

Sebest said she knows management is working through insurance, but does not know about how long that process will take.

While crews continue working to fix the damage done in their apartments, residents are getting temporary housing using a 12-month HUD pass-through lease. The lease is between the landlord and residents, and provides temporary housing as long as the residents continue to pay their portion.

“We are working with all of the residents in some capacity. Some have found permanent housing. Some are still in temporary housing. So we're still working with them on whatever they need, and kind of keeping in touch with them for as long as they need,” said Sebest.

Dougan also used the meeting as an opportunity to answer some legal questions.

“We are able to help them with what their rights are with HUD, what's going to happen with their subsidies and those types of things, because people are worried whether they're going to have a roof over their head,” said Dougan.

While the meeting did help answer some questions, others remain.

“It has been rough from start to finish,” said Alexis Miller, Phoenix House resident. “Everyone is solely surely figuring things out, and this helped out a lot too.”

21 News did reach out to an owner of the Phoenix House building, but did not get a response.