BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Several Ellicott Town Center tenants have been left to find temporary housing after a record-breaking blizzard caused burst pipes within the Eagle Street apartment complex.
7 News spoke with one tenant, Denise Gerrald, who said she's been out of her home since water lines broke just a few days before the Christmas holiday.
Gerrald said she along with other tenants was left to reach out to family and friends after being told by management to "find someplace to be."
"They did not put us anywhere and did not pay for a hotel or anything," Ellicott Town Center Tenant, Denise Gerald said. "They told us to go find us someplace to be. And then they said they were going to come and pull the carpet up and let it dry out for a couple days and then they don't know what they were going to do. So, we're between a rock and a hard place because some people didn't have a place to go. Well, we didn't have a place to go. We've been staying here and there."
Gerrald walked through her apartment and pointed out mold on the walls and water dripping from her ceiling. She had a pile of items ruined from water damage laying on the floor waiting to be thrown away.
Gerrald was only able to stay inside her apartment for a few minutes before she said the smell of mildew and stale water was too much to take and that it was getting hard to breathe.
"They expect us to live here with health problems and everything," Gerald said. "Mold and stuff all over there. Expect us to live here and to pay rent."
Gerrald said tenants received a notice Friday informing them the monthly rent is still their responsibility and late fees will be issued if payments are not on time. Gerald said the property owner and management are aware of the issue but did not offer assistance with temporary housing.
7 News tried contacting the property owner and building manager but did not hear back.
We will update you with more information as it becomes available.
