Due to a broken elevator, a disabled woman has been trapped in her apartment for over 18 days. Since then, the Marion County Health Department in Indianapolis has issued an emergency notice violation.
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Woman Trapped In Apartment For Weeks Due To Broken Elevator
According to WISHTV on March 20, The Turtle Creek Apartment complex is section eight housing. This is housing specifically for aiding low-income households and individuals with disabilities. It's exactly why this woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, chose to live there.
Unfortunately, she had no idea a broken elevator would trap her inside for weeks. Since the woman relies on her wheelchair to move around, she's unable to leave her upstairs home. "There needs to be a way to be able to leave your home and not feel trapped all of the time," she said.
Luckily, she has a husband who helps take care of her. He first learned of the broken elevator on March 2, and the couple waited a week before reaching out. They imagined that by then someone would fix it, but the complex has done nothing yet.
After finally getting in contact with the complex, they admitted that they were waiting for certain parts to come in. "They said 'we're waiting on these parts and these parts are not easy to access, so we're going to be having to wait at least two weeks for the parts to come in," she revealed.
This has led to life issues, such as missed appointments. "I'm missing a doctor's appointment today because the elevator is broken that I really needed to go to," she continued. The trapped woman also revealed that two and a half weeks in they neglected to respond to her emails about the situation.
The outlet then explained that according to the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, it's up to the landlord to provide accommodations. This could range from simply providing a delivery service or alternative housing like a hotel.
Serious Safety Issues With The Broken Elevator
A statement from the company revealed they are "working with the elevator company" for the necessary repairs. They had "an estimated 2-3 week lead time on replacement parts" and claimed to "understand the frustration and impact" this had on residents.
There also seems to be communication issues. The woman told the outlet that the complex confirmed to her that the Indianapolis Fire Department knew of this issue. But when the reporters spoke with the fire department, they claimed they hadn't known of this issue.
This isn't simply an issue of frustration, it's a safety problem. "With the elevator down, I can't get down the stairs," she explained. "I'm not going to be, most likely, according to statistics, I'm not going to be seen as even a priority to get me downstairs."
In the event of an emergency, such as a tornado, the broken elevator could be life-threatening. "Last night, there's tornado warnings, but I couldn't get down to the ground floor," the woman said. "What if there was a tornado? What would I have done?"
