Milwaukee apartment evacuated, 26th and Wells, 'it's an eyesore'
MILWAUKEE - Tenants at Milwaukee's SoHi Lofts at 26th and Wells were evacuated Wednesday, Sept. 6, and city officials said issues at the complex date back to 2021.
Broken stairs, a faulty elevator and rust are among the problems that led to the evacuation of more than a dozen tenants. On Wednesday morning, the locks on 16 units were changed. Tenants were asked to take essential items, and they weren't given a timeline as to when they might be able to return.
"It’s an eyesore," said Demetria McGee, tenant. "The first thing that went out was the elevator, and that was the sign of the beginning of the end."
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Tenants said Wednesday taking the back steps to exit has been their only option for the past year.
"Some of the stairs, when you stepped on it, was kind of weak," said McGee.
Sohi Lofts
On Wednesday, the stairs were out of commission, with some missing.
City officials said on Sept. 1, an emergency repair order was issued to the property owner, and nothing happened, so on Wednesday morning, tenants were asked to leave their homes.
"No one can just move out that fast, grab some things, and the killing part about it is we don’t got know where to go," said Mattie Harris, tenant.
Sohi Lofts
Officials with the Department of Neighborhood Services said the building was deemed uninhabitable because of the lack of two safe exits.
SoHi Commerical LLC. is the property owner. FOX6 News spoke with the building manager Wednesday, who said "no comments."
The Department of Neighborhood Services said no one can return until the stairs and exterior walkways are fixed and approved.
"We got sick people in the building, a lady on oxygen in the building," said Harris. "We don’t know where she is going to go."
Sohi Lofts
Tenants were staying in a temporary hotel Wednesday, unsure when they might be able to return home.
"It’s beautiful," said Harris. "It’s just the outside that needs to be worked on."
DNS officials said the property owner must file a permit for commercial repairs which must be reviewed. They said they're focused on the tenants and helping with relocation.
SoHi issued the following statement Friday on behalf of Brinshore Development:
On September 6, the City of Milwaukee informed us our property, SoHi Lofts, was unfit for occupancy.
Upon notice, Brinshore Development, along with the on-site property management team, began working diligently to provide adequate temporary accommodations for our residents. By Wednesday evening, all sixteen families affected were placed in hotel accommodations at no expense to them. The area in question is a rear exterior portion of the building that has structural damage currently in repair. We are working with the City to address this issue and bring this structure up to code as quickly as possible. Our commitment to ensuring our residents remain informed throughout this process is our top priority.
We sincerely apologize to our residents for the inconvenience and look forward to them returning home to a safe environment.