By Jordyn Jagolinzer, WBZ-TV
BOSTON – Residents who live in a Mattapan Heights apartment building are speaking out after almost a week with their only elevator out of service.
Several residents who live in 229A that WBZ-TV spoke to deal with a medical issue.
One woman named Tai has severe asthma. “When I get up there I can barely breathe,” Tai said.
She’s frustrated another day has passed by without the elevator being fixed. “I have a handicap plaque and everything, it’s not like this is a joke.”
A man who recently had double knee surgery had to carry two packages up several flights of stairs to his apartment.
Another resident who is confined to her wheelchair was forced outside her home because she had no way to get food. Now, she can’t get back in.
“I can’t climb the stairs at all,” she said. “I can’t go in my house for nothing in the world. That makes no sense.”
WBZ-TV counted 20 stairs going to each floor. For residents like Jennifer McGauley, who live on the top floor, that’s 120 stairs.
On top of that, McGauley had stent placement surgery a week ago. “I come home out of the hospital, I have to walk six flights of stairs,” said McGauley.
At age 63, she has lived in Mattapan Heights for 10 years. She said the building has never been without a working elevator for this long.
“It’s unacceptable when you have to walk up six flights of stairs in my condition.”
McGauley hopes speaking out will fix the problem and fears for her health if nothing is done. “If I was to get sick and call an ambulance, they would have to walk up six flights of stairs and carry me down six flights of stairs, so I’m praying to God that he keeps me healthy.”
Residents have been told for the past five days that the issue is being worked on but they said they haven’t seen anyone.
“I understand one or two days but not five days, and it’s still not done today,” said Tai.
The building is managed by Trinity Management. The company handles properties throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.
Trinity Management told WBZ-TV that they are working on restoring elevator service as fast as possible and they understand the challenge it presents to its residents. The company could not explain why the repair was taking so long and did not provide a timeline for when it will be fixed.