Seniors living in an apartment building in Vancouver’s West End say they’ve had no elevator service for over a month, leaving many of them stranded.
Some residents of the 12-storey building at 1254 Pendrell St., like Nicholas Lebessis, say they’ve essentially been trapped in their apartments because they can’t use the steep stairway.
“I can’t live like this. I can’t even go down one stair. I have a reconstructed knee,” Lebessis said.
Lebessis, who lives on the top floor of the building, hasn’t left his apartment in a month.
“I can’t go out of here, I can’t get any exercise,” he said. “It is frustrating of course. I can’t go out for a little walk around the block, I can’t go out for groceries.”
The elevator stopped working after October’s atmospheric river. During the storm, some residents said they saw water pouring down the elevator shaft.
The building houses seniors, some with mobility issues, and neighbours and volunteers have since stepped up to help by delivering groceries, medications and other supplies to residents who can’t get off their floors.
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Lebessis said he’s been paying university students to do his laundry for him.
“It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it,” he said. “A man cannot live without clean underwear.”
Residents say they’ve been told repairs to the elevator could take more than a year, and that there doesn’t seem to be any urgency on the part of the building’s operators to get the job done.
They’re also raising safety concerns in the event of an emergency.
“This is totally unacceptable,” Lebessis said. “I don’t want to have them to carry me down 12 flights of stairs.”
The building is operated by the Pendrellis Society, with funding through BC Housing.
Freshly re-appointed Housing Minister Ravi Kahon said the province is providing emergency funding.
“Seven brand new units opened up on the ground floor for those that have accessibility issues, and we’ve also offered them additional supports for fixing the elevators,” Kahlon said.
“They haven’t taken us up on it. They said they’ve got a plan to do that.”
The society’s plan remains unclear: the organization listed no contact information on its website, and Global News was unable to reach the operators.
Lebessis said he just wants his independence back.
“It’s ridiculous. They’re not working on it,” he said. “I’m feeling let down … I’m abandoned.”