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Sun-Times Article on Public Housing Issues

Attorney Alex Polikoff prepares to ask a federal court judge to nudge CHA to move faster in addressing deteriorating conditions, including flooding and lack of hot
water.
CHA tenants to ask court for action on upkeep

Chicago Sun-Times
April 19, 2001

BY CURTIS LAWRENCE

Standing in a freshly painted apartment at the Stateway Gardens, Chicago
Housing Authority Chief Terry Peterson promised Wednesday to do a better
job of maintaining high-rises until new mixed-income housing is built.

But his efforts may be too little, too late, as attorney Alex Polikoff
prepares to ask a federal court judge to nudge CHA to move faster in
addressing deteriorating conditions, including flooding and lack of hot
water.

Polikoff and Mary Wiggins, vice chairperson of the Central Advisory
Council, a group of tenant leaders, said that unless a formal agreement
with the CHA is reached by Friday, they will file a motion asking for U.S.
District Judge Marvin Aspen to intervene.

Aspen oversees the Gautreaux decree that dictates new CHA redevelopment.

Polikoff--who represents CHA tenants under Gautreaux--and tenant leaders
have raised concerns to Peterson and CHA Board Chairwoman Sharon Gist
Gilliam about conditions in the high-rises.

At the top of their list of problems, outlined in a March 27 letter to
Gilliam, are lack of heat and hot water; inoperable elevators; leaking
roofs; flooded apartments; inadequately secured vacant apartments, and
rats.

The conditions can be found at CHA developments throughout the city, but
are most prevalent at Stateway, ABLA, Cabrini Green and Robert Taylor. The
high-rises at the developments eventually will be demolished under a
10-year plan.

Since Peterson received the letter he has stepped up inspections at
high-rise developments, sending eight-member inspection teams door-to-door.

In the last 10 days, the teams have inspected more than 1,000 apartments
and identified more than 900 problems ranging from faulty smoke detectors
to broken windows and leaky faucets.

He said only two families were forced to move because of uninhabitable
conditions.

"Somebody wasn't doing what they were supposed to do," said Mary Jones, who
moved into a new apartment last week with her three children and
11-month-old grandson after Peterson toured her unit, which had no running
water and a leaky ceiling.

Peterson said he has ordered an audit of the agency's work order program
"to ensure that the numbers we are getting are correct and truthful."

"We will hold our property managers accountable for keeping a development
as clean and as safe as possible," Peterson said. "However, after 30 years
of neglect, we cannot expect miracles overnight."

Don Samuelson, property manager for Stateway, said his 50-member staff is
working to improve conditions.
 
 

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