Many residents at Harvey apartment complex were trying to figure out where they will go next on Monday after their building was condemned by city officials.
Mary Brooks has been living in her one-bedroom apartment, located near 145th Street and South Halsted, for nearly four years. Brooks said she was aware some units were boarded up on Friday, but she is staying put until she has somewhere to go.
“I can’t move until I get money to move,” said Brooks. “Give us time to put our money together. Especially people that only have a monthly income and live by themselves.”
Brooks and other residents received a letter, dated Dec. 14, from the city of Harvey. It called on residents to evacuate, as the building posed “an imminent safety risk to those who use the stairs and balconies.”
Brooks thought the letter was bogus. NBC Chicago confirmed Monday with the Harvey Buildings Department that the letter is in fact authentic.
On Friday, police and construction crews arrived to the complex to begin boarding up the units.
Many residents said they were surprised and caught off guard. Some even said crews trapped them inside when boarded up the units.
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“It’s crazy,” said resident Erroll King. “No one knows what’s going on, really.”
NBC 5 tracked down the current management company for the complex. A manager for Chicago Style Management confirmed it had no part in ordering the board-up and was brought on recently to handle the reconstruction of the complex, after tenants moved out.
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The complex changed management companies last October, formerly managed by RFN Consulting, LLC. The owners of the property have not been able to be reached for a comment on the situation.
As of Saturday, the city of Harvey said it had no role in the board-up process, either.
Cook County Housing Authority is now involved, working to help residents find a new home. The agency sent the following statement to NBC Chicago:
“It has become critical for the residents to be rehomed. We know this can be a challenging and emotional process, but we are committed to ensuring every resident has a safe and comfortable home. Our dedicated team is working tirelessly to find suitable accommodations and support the residents throughout this transition. We are committed to making this process as smooth as possible and appreciate the understanding and cooperation of everyone involved. Housing Authority of Cook County employees have been monitoring and working on this situation since the weekend, and we will continue to diligently monitor and work on this situation until all of our residents are safely rehomed.”
NBC Chicago attempted to reach the property owners for comment on Saturday night. The property owners Tuesday responded with the following statement:
Prior to the initial purchase of the property in February of 2023, we were given the “all-clear” to move forward, following multiple inspections, including one from the city of Harvey, with only a few minor issues needing to be addressed.
After several months of operation, we were surprised by the city’s notice to immediately have the building vacated to begin structural repairs to the staircases, but we were committed to following their guidance and promptly rectifying any issues for the safety of the residents.
We aimed to treat the tenants with as much respect and consideration as possible, given the difficult and unexpected circumstances they were facing - including negotiating with the city to prolong the evacuation time, swiftly notifying the residents through various channels, as well as offering concessions to try to aid in this challenging transition.
Our property management firm coordinated the shutdown of the building with the city of Harvey, and onsite vendors reported that on Friday, January 5th, the viral allegations regarding tenants being boarded into their apartments are categorically false.
While we cannot control the actions of our tenants, we try to enforce policies that provide a safe environment to those who call the building home and once we are notified of any issues, we act quickly to ensure that the situation is resolved.
We place our tenant's safety at the forefront of all our decisions and we hope to reopen our building to the city’s standards around March, as we continue to cooperate and begin quality repairs and follow the appropriate guidelines.
