PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Residents of Lindley Towers in Logan were displaced last month after a partial collapse and have been temporarily living in hotels, but now there’s another obstacle in their way.
A portion of the seventh floor collapsed on Sept. 14 at the complex, located at 1220 Lindley Ave., and it was deemed unlivable. The property manager temporarily placed dozens of people in several Bensalem hotels.
But on Wednesday, the landlord reached out to Community Legal Services of Philadelphia saying residents must leave the hotels by Friday, according to CLS supervising attorney Osarugue Grace Osa-Edoh.
On Friday, they were granted an emergency stay in their temporary rooms until a court hearing on Tuesday. The city is funding their hotel stays through Wednesday.
Osa-Edoh said according to their agreement with the landlord, residents who wanted to move to another one of his apartments would be able to do so. However, after filling out applications, the landlord said other apartments are no longer available.
She said the problems faced by former Lindley Towers tenants highlight Philadelphia’s lack of affordable housing.
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In a written statement, City Solicitor Diana Cortes said the city was “highly disappointed by the last-minute communication to tenants who have already endured weeks of housing instability due to the partial collapse.”
She said the landlord must be held accountable.
“The collapse was a direct result of the owners’ disinvestment in their property which caused the property to be unsafe for human habitation,” she continued. “It is of critical importance that the owners take financial and legal responsibility for their actions and do so immediately. In the meantime, the City will continue to do everything in its power to assist families displaced by the Lindley Towers collapse.”
A phone number for Lindley Towers management was not in service.