BELOIT (WMSN) -- Sixteen families in Beloit are homeless today.



The city says most units in their Countryside Village Apartment complex are in such poor condition, they're too dangerous to live in.



The city of Beloit says problems started two years ago. The landlord, Barry Chernowsky of Chicago, has already racked up $100,000 in citations.



The city says he hasn't fixed the violations, and now residents are paying the price.



For tenant Patricia Carrizales, and 66 other people forced to leave, the holiday is ruined.



"It's terrible," Carrizales said. "It's terrible because it's almost Christmas. We had a tree ready, presents ready, everything. Now, it's destroyed."



"It's Christmastime," said Anthony Diaz, who helped Carrizales pack. "You don't expect this to happen out of nowhere. They came, knocked on the door, and said we had to move out."



City inspections revealed dangerous problems at the complex.



"We received several complaints from residents who don't have heat, carbon monoxide detectors going off, a great deal of mold," said Brad Liggett, Beloit fire chief.



Inside 70 of the 112 apartments -- squalid living conditions, garbage everywhere, leaky faucets, mold creeping up closet walls, exposed heating registers -- places unfit for human habitation.



"There's a huge risk," Liggett said. "Absolutely huge risk to life."



Social services are working to find temporary housing for the tenants, many of whom, are confused by the move.



"A lot of families that live there are limited-English speaking families," said Rosamaria Laursen, ESL program manager with Beloit Schools. "So, they don't really understand what's going on."



Tenants may not understand the reasons behind their evictions, but the end result is very real.



"We feel really bad, sad," said Patricia Carrizales. "We don't have a place to live. We have no place to spend the night."



On Tuesday, most residents were given 24 hours to move out. If they don't leave, they could face trespassing citations.



Chief Liggett said, in terms of compliance, the city's hands are tied. If the landlord does not bring the building up to code, the city of Beloit could go to court and get an injunction.



Liggett said when the landlord did try to fix citations in the past, he used unlicensed contractors and handymen. Some of the energy sources, boilers, and heaters on site, are being run illegally, according to Liggett.



Beloit Housing Services director Tom Clippert called the owner, Barry Chernowski, an absentee landlord who rarely makes the trip to Wisconsin, to check-on and maintain his building.



Fox 47 tried to contact the landlord. He did not return our calls. Most of the tenants are staying with friends - or in shelters Tuesday.



Online reporting by Jeff Angileri

Families forced out of homes 3 days before Christmas