DETROIT – Residents of “Tower B” of the Alden Towers Apartments on Detroit’s east side say they’ve been without a normal working elevator for over three weeks.
It’s the same complex that recently went without heat for months.
Previous coverage -- Desperate tenants turn to ovens, stovetops for warmth as heat fails in Detroit apartment complex
On Nov. 30, tenants inside the tower noticed “Out of Order” signs stuck on the elevator they typically use.
“We’ve been taking the stairs,” one tenant said. “We’ve been taking the freight elevator, but the freight elevator only works, you know, a handful of times.”
Tenants say the elevator was slow and difficult to use, but it was their only option.
On Dec. 17, tenants received an email from management saying the freight elevator in the tower was “temporarily out of service due to an emergency repair.”
“The passenger elevator in the B Tower remains out of service and will require a more prolonged repair period,” the email said.
It went on to say the management team was “working closely with service providers to complete the necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible.”
The issue left just the stairs.
“There are some people here that probably can’t walk up the steps, right?” Local 4 asked one of the tenants.
“Right. Yeah, there’s elderly people,” the tenant said.
There are also people who are in wheelchairs or can’t otherwise get around. Additionally, if they can take the steps, the issue is still impacting their health.
“We can’t take down the trash or I can’t bring up groceries cause it takes a cart and can’t lug up a cart six or seven flights of stairs,” the tenant said.
When residents go to management to ask for help, they’re told the issue is being worked on.
“Just fix the elevator and all the other little repairs here. I pay a lot of money to live here and it’s not that much to ask for a working elevator,” the elevator said.
Local 4 reached out to the company that manages the property, but did not hear back.