After heat wave deaths at Rogers Park apartment, residents report improving conditions
CHICAGO (CBS) – Three women died in hot conditions in a Rogers Park apartment building last May.
Months after their deaths, the building owner was fined for violations discovered after the women died, but those violations were not related to their deaths.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot found out those living in the building who said they've seen changes.
People living in the building said the changes they've seen since May include text messages from management, personal phone calls and even a knock on the door to ask if the temperature in their unit is OK.
People living in the James Sneider Apartments said additional smoke detectors have been installed in the building. Residents also said they've been given individual air condition units to keep them cool if needed. This came after the Cook County Medical Examiner said excessive heat in the building were contributing factors in the deaths of the three women.
After their deaths, the Chicago Department of Buildings did an inspection. They found 11 violations, among them, the need to install carbon monoxide detectors within 40 feet of every bedroom and the need to enclose pipe shafts and ducts passing from one floor to another with materials to provide fire resistance.
The Department of Buildings fined the owner of James Sneider Apartments, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation, a total of $1,500 for the violations. The fine had nothing to do with the deaths of the three women in the building.
In a statement, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation said they paid the fine and court costs and "the matter was dismissed without further action taken from the city."
In a statement on the fine, Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) said, "The City can only enforce and issue fines based on our Building Code, which is why our office worked to swiftly pass stronger guidelines around heating and cooling in our buildings to usher in more protections for our residents."
Hadden added her office has been working to hold a hearing by the Committee on Housing and Real Estate about what happened on May 14 in a quest for answers and to prevent further tragedies.
