Harvey residents boarded up inside their own apartments in condemned building
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Shocking video circulating on social media shows some Harvey residents boarded up into their own apartments as crews tried to close up a condemned building.
They can open their doors again, but there are questions about how this happened.
Some units were unoccupied at the time, but a mother and two kids were in one unit.
Using whatever tools they could find, community activists broke down the boards of the Harvey apartment complex, searching for people who might be trapped inside. Ultimately, there was nobody in the unit, but it's a panic that community members have felt for the last 24 hours.
"I hadn't really even heard them breaking this off," said Rudolph Williams, who was boarded inside an apartment.
Rudolph Williams showed handles to his screen door, broken off by construction crews as they boarded up his apartment Friday afternoon. The 73-year-old was unaware he was being trapped inside.
"I'm used to the noise when they're doing some construction, so I just figured they've been going around putting up the boards and everything," he said. "So I didn't really pay that much attention after a while, and I sort of drowned it out."
Rudolph's nephew, James, captured videos from the other side showing crews ignoring their pleas to take the boards down and telling them of the people trapped inside.
"They walked right past me," James said. "I said, 'Can you come up for this window? It's a person inside this.' And he looked at me and kept on walking."
"I had to push my kids out the window, and right now, my son is scraped up," said resident Aces Price. "My little little one, his face is scraped up. It's kind of bad."
Price said she escaped their ground-floor apartment through a back window.
Both Price and Williams said they used Section 8 vouchers and had already paid their rent for the month.
Harvey Police say the city has been contacting building owners since October about unsafe conditions -- specifically referencing a collapsed stairwell. Harvey police acknowledge nobody was evicted before the boards were installed and say property owners boarded up the complex. At the same time, their officers performed several inspections and wellness checks at the property.
Resident Mary Brooks said she received a blank form from attorneys telling her the building would close in October, though she and other residents stayed in their homes well past that date.
"This should never happen, and this should never happen again," she said.
Residents said they would like to move out, but they either have nowhere to go or don't have the money to do so. So for now they will be staying there.
The owners of the property said in a 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."
CBS 2 was also told their Property Management firm has been in contact with the city of Harvey and the Cook County Housing Authority, and is working to find alternative housing for all residents.
Correction: CBS News Chicago incorrectly identified RFN as the property management company. RFN ended that association in October 2023.
