Burst Pipe Floods Arlington Heights Apartments, Ruins Christmas Presents
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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS (KDKA) -- Clothes, furniture and Christmas presents were all ruined when a pipe burst in an apartment building in Arlington Heights.
For the residents of three apartments at the Arlington Heights Public Housing Project, it's a horrible start to the holiday weekend.
Water was pouring in through vents and light fixtures, causing anger and frustration.
"This is [expletive] because we gotta live up here," one man said.
The water poured from an upstairs apartment that the housing authority says was vacant. It was a rude awakening.
"I went to put my feet down and when I put my feet down, I was in about 3 inches of water," Sirborianq Turner said.
While Housing Authority crews moved in to clean up the mess, residents complain the response has been slow. They say this has happened before and it's hard to get reimbursed for the damages.
"This is the third time and I have not gotten any [reimbursement]," Turner said. "I'm having a hard time dealing with them reimbursing me."
The Housing Authority insists it will reimburse for the damages once the tenants fill out some forms. In the meantime, the Red Cross, community and church groups have pitched in to provide clothing, food and Christmas presents for the affected tenants. Even so, they say the holidays look bleak.
"For my kids and my grandkids, this doesn't seem like it's going to really happen," Turner said.
The residents, some with medical conditions, say they want to be relocated this weekend, but the Housing Authority they're going to clean up the mess and repair the damage, and they say it's not necessary to move the residents.
