Posted Wednesday, June 25 --- 10:00pm

One business and more than 18 homes on Granite Avenue in Reedsburg are uninhabitable according to city inspectors.

Now homeowners must wait for aid in order to start their lives over again.

Jeff Owen is one of the many home owners on Granite Avenue that has been forced out of his home after the city deemed it unlivable.

"An inspector would go into the house and determine the value has been decreased by more than 50 percent due to the damage," Owen said.

About 18 homes on this street fall into this category.

The orange condemned stickers on the outside prove it.

On the inside however, the damage is all too real.

Homeowners are forced to dump most of their damaged belongings and clean out what's left of their home.

Now their trying to start over with help from the city and what little they have left.

"The city is intending on applying for what's called a hazard mitigation grant," said Tim Becker, Director of the Reedsburg emergency management team. "It would help to supply funding for approximately 75 percent of the assessed value of their homes."

The emergency management team has heard many frustrations from the homeowners of these condemned houses.

"It's not what the city wants to do is to condemn the home," Becker said, "but the last thing we want to do is put somebody back in a home that structures been compromised by water."

Until now Owen and his family are staying with friends and are thankful for the items they were able to take with them.

While federal aid only covers 75 percent of each condemned home, the city's emergency management team is applying for state and city aid to make up the 25 percent difference.

It will be several weeks, if not months however, before any money is dispersed.