CHA building for 200 seniors in Englewood has had only one working elevator since April; "It's been hell"
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One elevator for nearly 200 people; that's what seniors in one Chicago Housing Authority building say has been their reality since April.
This isn't the first time we've covered a story on the same Englewood building.
Both elevators at the Vivian Carter Apartments were fixed by CHA last year. Everything was fine until April, when one elevator broke down, leaving the high-rise with only one working elevator, and residents say that elevator breaks down three to four times a month.
Lindsay Graves says he shot video on Aug. 8, showing a Vivian Carter Apartments resident being brought down from the 12th floor by paramedics, using the stairs, because the only working elevator in the building was broken at the time.
"I thought it was horrific, because it's not an uncommon occurrence. Whenever the elevator breaks down, and we have no service, the people are at the mercy of the Fire Department's ability to get to them in a timely manner," Graves said.
Graves lives at the Chicago Housing Authority complex for seniors in Englewood, and is also the president of the local advisory council for the building.
He and other residents said one elevator has been out of order since April 6, after a flood happened on the 13th floor. That left only one working elevator in the building, for nearly 200 residents, and they said even that elevator doesn't work all the time.
"It's been hell," Lamont Alfred said.
Alfred is paralyzed on his left side and relies on a cane to walk.
"Sometimes I have to walk up the stairs, because the elevator is taking too long, or it don't run at all," he said.
In May of last year, CBS 2 did a story about the only working elevator breaking down at the Vivian Carter Apartments, along with other building code violations, including a mice infestation.
"It's just ridiculous!" resident Bobbie Lewis said at the time.
"You see the mice in the hallway, the stairwell," fellow resident Stan Davis said at the time.
On Friday, seniors who live there said the mice are no longer a problem. The pest control company used by the building arrived while CBS 2 was there.
But the problem with the elevator remains.
"I could build a building I believe, as long as that elevator's been down," resident Edward Johnson said.
Denise Hopkins-Glover suffers from COPD and congestive heart failure. She said paramedics couldn't use the elevator in the building this week, when she called for help.
"Literally, this elevator's just death waiting to happen," she said.
The CHA said the elevator is scheduled to be fixed next week.
"We understand that these issues are challenging for residents and we take them very seriously. Our property management team has made a number of improvements at this location over the past year and we will continue to be responsive to concerns from residents," CHA said in a statement. "The elevators at Vivian Carter Apartments were modernized as scheduled last year. However, one of the building's two elevators recently sustained water damage and has been temporarily out of service. Repair parts were immediately ordered and the elevator is scheduled to be fixed next week."
Meantime, the Chicago Department of Buildings said the building has a number of elevator code violations, and those violations have been referred to the Chicago Department of Law for prosecution.
"The Department of Buildings (DOB) takes public safety and quality of life issues seriously, especially for our senior residents. DOB inspectors have documented a number of code violations at the Vivian Carter Apartments at 6401 S. Yale Avenue and have referred those violations to the Department of Law for prosecution. There is currently an active case before the Department of Administrative Hearings regarding building elevators and the next hearing date is 9/8/22," the Buildings Department said in a statement.
