Chicago mom of three living above fire-damaged apartments waits for CHA transfer
Chicago mom of three living above fire-damaged apartments waits for CHA transfer
A Chicago mother says she and her three children have been living above two fire-damaged apartments for more than four months while waiting for the Chicago Housing Authority to relocate them.
CHICAGO - More than four months after a fire damaged two apartments in a Near West Side building, a mother of three says she and her children are still living directly above the burned-out units, waiting for the Chicago Housing Authority to move them.
Chiquita Wilson lives on the third floor of an apartment building on Maypole Avenue with her children, including her 9-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. The fire happened May 3, 2026.
The first- and second-floor units below Wilson's apartment remain vacant, she said.
"Living here is trauma," Wilson told FOX Chicago. "It is extremely traumatizing. Me and my children have been through a complete nightmare with absolutely no help from management. Reaching out to you was my last resort."
Mother says family returned after fire
The backstory:
Wilson said she and her children fled the building when the fire broke out.
"I just had to gather the most important things, which was my kids and some documents and get out the building," she said.
Wilson said her family stayed away for about a month before returning. She said she had asked to be moved following the fire but was told her third-floor apartment was still considered habitable.
"When the fire happened, I asked management to move me," Wilson said. "They told me since my unit was deemed still habitable that they're not allowed to move. I have to stay here."
Smoke, bugs remain concerns
During FOX Chicago's tour of the building, the smell of smoke was still noticeable near the damaged apartments.
"You smell that smoke all the time?" FOX Chicago's Tia Ewing asked.
"All the time," Wilson responded.
Wilson is also concerned about roaches and other pests. She said she has seen roaches in her apartment and has attempted to treat the problem herself. She worries pests may have migrated from the vacant areas of the building, though FOX Chicago has not independently established where the insects originated.
Wilson said she keeps windows open because she is worried about what her family is breathing inside.
"I have windows open throughout my house all the time, so me and my children are cold," Wilson said, adding that she would rather have the windows open than have her family breathing what she believes remains in the air.
Wilson concerned about son's health
Wilson said she is particularly concerned about her 10-year-old son, who she says has been coughing, has missed school and was diagnosed with asthma.
"My youngest, he's affected the most because he's the baby," Wilson said. "He coughs a lot. He's missed a couple of days of school, even though school just started."
Wilson believes conditions in the building are contributing to her family's health problems. Medical testing she provided showed elevated responses to German cockroach and a type of mold, but those results alone do not establish where an exposure occurred or that conditions inside the building caused the family's health problems.
City inspection failed months after fire
A Chicago Department of Buildings inspection on Aug. 10 — more than three months after the fire — failed and listed four alleged code violations.
The violations included second-floor windows boarded up after the fire, missing or torn window screens and debris, including plywood and screws, around the exterior porch.
The inspection record reviewed by FOX Chicago does not indicate that Wilson's third-floor apartment was ordered vacated.
FOX Chicago is asking what inspections were performed after the fire and what determined that Wilson's apartment and the building were safe for her family to continue occupying.
CHA approves transfer, but mom still waiting
Wilson has since received a letter from CHA approving her request for a transfer based on what the agency described as "current properties environmental factors."
But Wilson says she has not been told where her family will be moved or when.
"I was told, 'Well, Ms. Wilson, we don't know. We just have to wait until we find you a unit,'" Wilson said. "So me and my children just still have to live here and be forced to breathe in these elements."
For Wilson, moving is not as simple as finding another apartment. She says her income is limited and her housing is subsidized through CHA, assistance her family depends on.
"As a mother, it's extremely difficult," Wilson said. "I have many nights where I cry because what am I doing to my kids? I can't even just uproot us."
The fire is out, but Wilson says her family is still trying to escape what it left behind.
What's next:
FOX Chicago has reached out to CHA about the property's post-fire inspections, Wilson's continued occupancy and the timeline for her approved transfer.
Chicago police are investigating the circumstances surrounding who started the May 3 fire.
We are also waiting on a response for more information from the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).
The Source: The information in this report came from interviews with the tenant, records from the Chicago Department of Buildings and the Chicago Housing Authority, documents provided by the tenant, and information from the Chicago Police Department, along with reporting by FOX Chicago.