SAN ANTONIO – After weeks without a working elevator, the spirits of the elderly and disabled residents of an Opportunity Home San Antonio apartment have been lifted.
Residents at the Kenwood North say the elevator at the three-story public housing apartment was finally fixed Thursday after being out since at least early January.
“I can bring my groceries and, you know, water and everything,” said Dora Sepulveda.
KSAT first visited the location on Avenue M, close to the intersection of McCullough Avenue and Olmos Drive, on Jan. 26 after receiving footage of a man with a partially amputated leg trying to navigate his wheelchair down the stairs.
The heartbreaking video shocked KSAT viewers and was called “concerning” and “unequivocally unacceptable” by Opportunity Home Board Chairman Gabe Lopez.
Brance Arnold, a spokesman from Opportunity Home San Antonio, formerly known as the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA), told KSAT last week, “The repair originally began in early January with the main board being removed and sent to a repair facility. The return shipment was delayed as it was coming from the Northeast of the United States. Once the main board was replaced, it was determined an additional part was needed, which could not have been known until the main power to the system was fixed.”
Arnold said Opportunity Home offered hotel accommodations for the affected residents, with five initially opting for the temporary fix and seven others eventually requesting the same. However, not everyone wanted to go.
“I stay here because I have my appointments, and I have already the Uber, you know, to pick me up, so I don’t want to change nothing,” Sepulveda said.
Asked on Friday how the housing authority will ensure an extended outage like this doesn’t happen again, Arnold did not have an encouraging response.
“Supply chain issues continue to impact our contractors’ ability to get products, especially for the creation of custom-made control panels. These are not parts that can be purchased at a home improvement store,” he wrote in an email.