PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The two buildings that collapsed Wednesday — one fully, the other partially — about an hour apart in different Philadelphia neighborhoods each had been cited by the Department of Licenses and Inspections for numerous violations.
“I have no money. I'm on a fixed income,” said Renee McCaine, who was a resident at the seven-story Lindley Towers apartment building, at 1220 Lindley Avenue in the city’s Logan neighborhood, until she and the rest of her neighbors were evacuated.
“So what am I to do? Sleep out here until the next time I get my check — which is next month?”
Part of the top-floor wall crumbled to the ground below Wednesday morning.
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“I'm homeless. I have nowhere to go. Nobody's answering the phone. Nobody has gave me no resources, or nothing. Like, I can't live in my car. I’m an asthmatic. I'm on a breathing machine. Like, what am I supposed to do?”
According to L&I public records, the building had 195 violations and 245 investigations dating back to 2007.
No one was inside the three-story building that completely collapsed earlier Wednesday in Fishtown, at 2329 East York Street. It had been cited for 12 L&I violations and was deemed “unsafe” as recently as July, according to public records.
Key Food Pizza had been located on the ground floor. The family business was destroyed in the collapse.
Lindley Towers resident Yonna says she often made maintenance complaints to building management: “They knew that this building was messed up. It’s been messed up for years.”
But resident Tamika Dover says the building managers have been unresponsive. The phone number shown on the building is not in service.
“This is ridiculous, when I just paid them my rent not even five days ago and now owe them nothing and we shouldn't be out here,” Dover said.
Dover says she just wants her security deposit and rent returned.
A city spokesperson says no one will be able to enter the building until the city has assurances from a structural engineer that it is safe. A temporary Red Cross shelter has been set up for residents at Fells High School.