An investigation has been launched in Harvey after a shocking video emerged, showing seniors and other residents trapped inside their apartments as crews unknowingly boarded up the buildings. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, 73-year-old Rudolph Williams discovered he couldn't leave his home after workers sealed his doors and windows with plywood.
The video, which went viral, was captured by Williams' nephew. Williams expressed his bewilderment, saying, "I didn’t know exactly what was going on," and asking "What the hell?" Mayor Christopher Clark has promised a probe into the fiasco at the deteriorating low-income apartment complex, which had been on the city's radar for months over multiple safety concerns. Complaints from residents about neglect and unsafe living conditions had been steadily mounting.
City officials have noted that they warned property owners about the safety hazards and urged them to make repairs. The property was called to attention more than 300 times last year for criminal activities, and elevated concerns for resident safety. Messages to the California-based building owners by the press went unanswered. Their management firm, Chicago Style Management, alleged that to their knowledge, the units were empty before boarding.
As conveyed by NBC Chicago, Harvey officials claimed they did not participate in the boarding up of the apartments and had communicated the necessity of immediate rectification of the danger to the property owners. The property owners were required to inform residents, a task they botched, leading to the alarming situation. Property owners claim they were surprised by the city’s notice to vacate, emphasizing their commitment to resident safety and intentions to reopen the building to city standards after necessary repairs.
Meanwhile, residents like Mary Brooks are left fearing for their safety, with some saying they look out for one another in the absence of any meaningful intervention. Brooks, a 66-year-old cancer survivor with mental health issues, lamented, "Nobody pays attention to the poor,”. The investigation remains ongoing.
