"They don't care about us": Displaced tenants confront Worcester landlord after apartment collapse
WORCESTER - "You talk to us like we are trash!" Dozens of angry tenants brought more chaos to their apartment building Monday, where days earlier a partial collapse left more than 80 people displaced.
"I think the landlord should be stepping up. It's his responsibility to house us," said resident Ivory Filmore. The group confronted the owner of the 32-unit building, demanding he give them a place to live.
Many of them refused to take the security deposit checks he and his wife are now offering. "Nobody's taking a check," yelled one of the tenants. "We need to be more than compensated for just the money. They need to find people places to stay," said resident Trish DePiro.
"You should give us more than telling us to come get our checks," said resident Isaac Frempog. "There should be more explanation, more help."
With the arrival of police, some tensions calmed. An animal control officer rescued cats and a pet turtle trapped in the building since Friday.
WBZ asked the landlord if there are any plans to relocate his tenants. "We're not talking to nobody. We're closed," he said, shutting a gate in front of the property.
Relief agencies are working with the City of Worcester to put residents up through the week. "I mean I have two kids. You can't expect I'm going to be living in a hotel for the rest of my life with my two kids," said one tenant.
Beyond next Monday, they say the summer ahead is very uncertain. "Very frustrating," a tenant said. "They don't care about us."
