Three apartment buildings in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood are without power, heat, or water, according to residents.
Some tenants claim that their buildings have been like this since Friday.
Residents reported that crews had restored power to the third building that had gone dark on Tuesday. Hundreds of people have already been displaced, and the cause of the outage is unknown.
“We have no idea what is going on. We only know we’ve been relocated “one of the tenants stated.
A woman who did not want to be identified said she and her disabled son are among hundreds of tenants who are without a place to live after their apartment building’s power and heat went out.
They claim they have not received an explanation and are unsure when they will be able to return to their homes.
“It’s just a mess,” she admitted. “I’m just trying to get it together day by day… and all I can do is pray about it and hope something comes through.”
The displaced residents said the problems started last Friday when power went out at two of the five identical apartment buildings that comprise the Algonquin Apartments in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
“We don’t have a strategy. We’re lost as a result of what they’re telling us “said another tenant.
Building management Mac Properties could not be reached for comment, but a representative apologized for the inconvenience in emails obtained by ABC7.
“This was a neighborhood outage that affected approximately 127 properties… In addition, we have requested an additional heating bus for warmth and comfort “They stated.
When power was not restored by Saturday evening, the city posted orange signage declaring the two buildings unsafe and evacuating everyone who lived there.
And, because building management had not provided alternate accommodations by the time the signs went up, one tenant said she, like many others, was forced to sleep in her cars with temperatures below zero.
“I was aware that my dogs were in danger. So I got in my car and spent the night sleeping in it “She stated.
Tenants reported that it wasn’t until late Saturday night that building management began offering hotel rooms to residents in need.
Building management has extended their hotel stay through tomorrow in an email to tenants, but it is unclear what will happen after that or how long it will take to restore power and heat to the buildings.
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