Some Hotel Woodland residents stuck inside apartments 2 months after elevator broke down
Some residents living at the Hotel Woodland Studio Apartments on Main Street say a broken elevator has left people stranded inside their second, third and fourth-floor apartments for two months now.
One resident reached out to CBS Sacramento for help, saying she and other seniors and residents with mobility issues are unable to get up and down the stairs to leave their homes.
"How can they be allowed to get away with this?" resident Jennifer Rowland asked. "I feel like we have just been abandoned."
Rowland says residents have gotten no communication about when the elevator will be fixed from property management.
Thanksgiving night, Rowland says the elevator first broke down. Now, nearly in February, frustration and isolation are growing for Rowland and fellow residents.
"I just don't feel like anybody cares," Rowland said.
Hotel Woodland is a 76-unit affordable housing community that offers furnished, single-room occupancy units for their residents.
Rowland lives on the third floor. She is disabled and relies on a walker and scooter to get around. She estimates a few dozen of her neighbors are in the same boat, stranded, with no way of leaving their upstairs apartments.
"We have nowhere to go. We have no means to get out," Rowland said.
Rowland is on a fixed income and has lived at the Hotel Woodland apartments for ten years, utilizing Section 8 housing vouchers. She is now having to rely on a friend to help bring her food and other necessities.
"I mean, the only thing keeping me sane is my, my crazy kitty here," she said of her pet cat.
Aside from the loneliness, Rowland says day-after-day stuck inside has left her depressed and fearing the worst.
"I just feel like it's gonna kill me eventually. I mean, if there is an emergency or something, I'd be dead for real. I don't want to die for something stupid," Rowland said.
There was recently a change in property management for these apartments.
Residents told CBS Sacramento that VPM Management, Inc., based out of Irvine, is now in charge. The company's name is now listed on the communications being sent to residents in the mail, but we were unable to confirm directly with anyone from VPM that they are, in fact, managing the property.
Any information about the management change has not been clearly updated online and CBS Sacramento has been unsuccessful in reaching either VPM Management or the previously listed property managers, CHOC Housing, by email or phone for comment.
We first reached out to the city of Woodland with these concerns more than a month ago. On December 19, 2025, the City of Woodland sent CBS News Sacramento the following statement:
"The elevator is in question is out of service awaiting parts delivery. The Hotel Woodland's property management company has staff on-site during business hours to help residents up and down the stairs and are also in the process of sourcing a 'stair chair.' The property management company is currently surveying residents and providing hotel rooms for those who are not ambulatory. While the City does not manage the historic Hotel Woodland property, we continue to work with the property management company and other community members to ensure the safety of all residents."
Rowland told CBS Sacramento she could not go to a hotel because of her need for specific disability accommodations and her two pets. She says some residents who were moved to hotels have already returned to the apartments because it did not work out.
"I can't be up here another month or two. I can't," Rowland said.
Nearly a month after our first inquiry, CBS Sacramento checked back in with the City of Woodland on January 14. City officials told us there was no update and that they were still waiting for the parts to fix the elevator.
We reached out on Monday to ask again. City officials responded and said the elevator is scheduled for repair next week.
Rowland says she isn't holding her breath.
"Somebody with influence has to get involved, because we're stuck," Rowland said. "I just want to be able to be treated like a human being that has rights, that deserves a safe place to live."
Rowland said the elevator also broke down in the Summer of 2025, but it was only out of order for a few weeks, at most.
CBS Sacramento will update this story if we hear back from the apartment's management.