Chicago community steps up to help 70-year-old woman leave troubled South Side building
70-year-old Chicago woman gets fresh start after FOX 32 report: 'I'm on top of the world'
After weeks of living with a broken elevator and other unsafe conditions, a 70-year-old Chicago woman is finally moving into a new subsidized apartment after FOX Chicago’s report prompted city action.
CHICAGO - For weeks, 70-year-old Yvette Thomas has been counting three flights of stairs.
With the elevator broken at her South Side apartment building, every trip to her unit at 4725 S. Michigan Avenue has taken a toll.
"Three flights and it kills me. It takes me like five minutes to get up the stairs," Thomas said.
But in less than 24 hours, her outlook has changed.
Thomas is preparing to leave the building and move into a new subsidized apartment, giving her something she has been waiting and praying for: a fresh start.
Conditions that became difficult to live with
The backstory:
The broken elevator was only one of Thomas’ concerns.
Inside her apartment, water damage caused part of her ceiling to collapse. What appears to be mold remains visible on portions of the ceiling.
Then there are the common areas.
"Smells horrible," Thomas said while walking through the building.
Thomas has said the conditions made it difficult for her to feel comfortable and safe in the place she called home.
"I’m not going to feel totally safe where I can relax to where I am officially out of this building," she said.
Now, she is getting out.
City takes action following FOX Chicago report
What they're saying:
After FOX Chicago first reported on Thomas and conditions at the property, Mayor Brandon Johnson visited the building and promised city action.
Chicago Department of Buildings Commissioner Marlene Hopkins also visited the property days after our report.
The city is now preparing for an inspection of the entire building.
According to the city, a court has granted the Buildings Department authority to gain access to the property for the inspections.
"The court has also given the department forcible entry … to provide us with access," Hopkins said.
The building’s owner, M&D Chicago Holdings LLC, failed to appear in court on Sept. 24th, the owners were served prior to the court appearance at an address in Delaware.
Thomas later sent FOX Chicago photographs of notices posted for residents alerting them to the upcoming inspection.
City officials say the goal is to determine what repairs are needed and get those repairs made. If the city ultimately has to perform work at the property, officials say a lien could be placed against it.
A city and community rally around Thomas
What's next:
While the city continues addressing conditions at the building, Thomas is finally able to focus on what comes next.
Catholic Charities covered her apartment fees, while state funding through the City of Chicago will help Thomas pack and move into her new subsidized unit.
The community has stepped up, too.
A GoFundMe created to help Thomas is approaching $9,000, providing additional support as she starts over.
For Thomas, the help comes after a difficult chapter.
The former phlebotomy technician says health challenges contributed to her falling on hard times. Now, after worrying about stairs, water damage and whether she would ever feel safe enough to relax, her attention has shifted to something much simpler.
Cleaning her new floors.
"I like to come in and do my mopping up on the floors before I move in," Thomas said while looking around her new place.
It is an ordinary chore that, for Thomas, represents something much bigger: the chance to make a home her own again.
Her old apartment building still faces questions about its conditions and what happens next for the residents who remain.
But for Thomas, this chapter is finally beginning to close.
And this time, she is not making the journey alone.
The city, local organizations and people who heard her story have helped give her the fresh start she had been praying for.
"I’m on top of the world," Thomas said.
The Source: The information in this report came from Yvette Thomas, Chicago city officials including Buildings Commissioner Marlene Hopkins, Catholic Charities, state and city housing assistance programs, and FOX Chicago reporting.