PITTSBURGH — Only Channel 11 was there Thursday as frustrated families protested, marching to a property management office in the Hill District, demanding repairs to what they call dangerous and uninhabitable living conditions. It comes as 11 Investigates is getting results for families left in the cold in their own homes.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Local family of 5 without heat since March
All this week, we’ve reported on people living without heat, for months or even years, in rental properties managed by Lynd. Some tenants showed us raccoon, rat and mice infestations. Others say they’ve been without electricity or heat for months, if not years.
Lynd manages properties locally in several counties and city neighborhoods. When tenants went into the Hill District office demanding a timeline for when repairs would be made, the property manager called the police on them.
“The fact that they care so little, it’s really disheartening,” a tenant tells Channel 11.
“I had to buy my own water heater,” Crystal White tells Channel 11. “Some people are buying their own toilets.”
Patrice Aaron, a mom of two, says the ceiling in her living room is about to fall through for the fourth time.
“In July of this year, I didn’t have power for 35 days,” Aaron said. “My main breaker box broke. We went two years without heat.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> More families without heat reach out to Channel 11 about property management group
We’ve also told you about Mya Wade and Darnella Murray, both single moms with kids who haven’t had heat in several months, or even years. Following our exclusive reporting, 11 Investigates was there today as the Allegheny County Health Department inspected Wade’s home.
“There has been some forward movement,” Wade tells 11 Investigates. “I’m hoping by this weekend, or Monday at the latest, we should be back where we belong. In our home. With heat.”
City Councilwoman Erika Strassburger says these companies are getting taxpayer funding through HUD, and they have a responsibility to keep residents safe.
“It’s unconscionable they’d be allowed to live with no heat,” Strassburger said. “With mold, with holes in their ceilings and walls.”
For Mya Wade and her four children, a check has been written for her new furnace.
“You have made me feel like I’m not just another story,” Wade added. “That you genuinely care about me and my family. Thank you for advocating for me.”
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