Residents who were displaced in a Chicago high-rise fire in January 2023 are demanding help as they remain unable to return to their homes.
The devastating blaze tore through the Harper Square Cooperative Building nearly two years ago, with its fallout leaving those who were living in the affected areas of the building traumatized.
“I want to go home. I want to back to the place I shared with my husband for 35 years,” Joy Anderson-Woodfolk said.
Though many residents said they were initially told repairs would take three-to-four months, almost 200 people remain displaced nearly two years after the fire.
“We understand something take time – but we think it has been too much time,” resident Mildred Richardson said.
Some of the displaced residents are still living with family or friends, while others are considering signing a lease for temporary living arrangements.
Affected residents shared their experiences Wednesday at Morning Star Baptist Church, with future legal action possible.
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“My primary concern is the lack of transparency – every time the move in date is pushed back – we are told the city has to do an inspection,” Anderson-Woodfolk said.
Resident Melinda Jordan told NBC Chicago it was hard to believe that there was not more support for residents, some of whom have been living in the building for several decades.
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NBC Chicago did not hear back from a request for comment for the building's ownership, though Chicago's Building Department offered the following statement:
"At this time, all of the 143 units in the east structure remain vacant due to the ongoing repair work. The Department of Buildings and the Fire Department are required to ensure compliance with the construction and fire provisions of the Chicago Construction Codes before the building can be reoccupied."
