Park Plaza tenants have endured a winter of heat outages and silence from management
Park Plaza tenant Crystal Williams said she and her neighbors are upset by poor living conditions created by ongoing renovations.
Story and photos by David Pierini, Editor
In a city where affordable housing is in short supply, five high-rise buildings on Olson Memorial Highway promise stability for residents needing a subsidized apartment.
The Park Plaza Apartments have 134 units where tenants are assisted with a variety of subsidies, including Section 8. Trellis Development, the property managers, are constructing a fifth building with 119 apartments. State and local governments have enthusiastically supported renovations to the old buildings with millions of dollars for Trellis’s continued commitment to affordable housing.
During three weeks in January, one of its buildings was reportedly without continuous heat.
Property managers provided small space heaters. Minneapolis city officials and the Harrison Neighborhood Association staff received reports of a family with a newborn sharing a bed at night to stay warm. One elderly resident was hospitalized.
In other buildings, residents complained of management's aggressive schedule for replacing windows regardless of the weather. Some refused to allow crews to enter because temperatures outside were below zero. Those who felt they could not resist left for the day or stayed in their apartments with a space heater.
Renovations are underway on buildings constructed in 1964.
Residents have told North News that ongoing renovations have forced crews to cut power and take elevators out of service. One resident, Crystal Williams, could not access her apartment during one elevator outage to get insulin for her Type 1 diabetes. She took the stairs, but the stairwell door to her floor was locked. She said she called three people before she found someone to let her in.
“No one should have to live like this,” said Beverly Jimerson, who has organized a small group of Park Plaza tenants to meet with city leaders and explore forming a tenants’ union. “At my age, I’m tired of fussing and fighting. They have no concern, decency, or respect for the tenants. They do what they do when they want to do it.
“Every day, we don’t know what to expect from this damn place.”
In an email to North News, Trellis CEO Elizabeth Flannery acknowledged the ongoing work on aging buildings was “challenging and disruptive” to tenants. The five existing buildings were constructed in 1964.
She said the buildings have needed substantial renovations. Flannery said Trellis secured $13 million to modernize elevators and heating systems, replace roofs and windows, and upgrade living spaces.
Trellis received three “Tier 1” violations in January for the failed heat at 505 Humboldt Ave, according to the city’s data dashboard.
It took calls to 311 and City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison’s office to get heat restored at 505 at the end of January. The calls came from residents of another building who had heard about the woman in the hospital.
Trellis received a warning rather than a citation because maintenance workers were tackling the problem when code enforcement officers arrived on Jan. 24, a city spokesperson said. Three days later, an inspector returned to find the heat was back on, though the heat was shut off the next day for continued repairs.
“We did, unfortunately, experience heat loss during the boiler replacement and installation,” Flannery said. “Our team was on-site monitoring the heat 24/7 and provided space heaters for affected residents. We replaced failed boiler parts as soon as possible.
“Trellis has responded to all issues as soon as possible and has worked hard to minimize impact on residents.”
After renovations to her apartment, Beverly Jimerson returned to a mess she said was created by work crews.
Feeling vulnerable but speaking up
Jimerson and a handful of neighbors had had enough. In February, they began meeting across the street at the Sumner Library. They invited Ellison’s staff and Harrison Neighborhood Association leaders to learn how to advocate for changes without reprisal.
Residents of 505 Humbodlt declined to comment for this story. Jimerson said 505 residents had declined offers to share their stories with the tenants’ group because they feared retaliation.
Nicole Buehler, executive director of the Harrison Neighborhood Association, said a legal aid attorney was set to file an emergency court order regarding the heat in 505. Still, no resident was willing to put their name on the complaint.
When Williams, who lives at 527 Humboldt Ave. N. sought the help of the Minnesota Public Housing Authority about renovations, such as periodically cutting off heat and power to her apartment. MPHA sent her a letter saying it would withhold her rent subsidy if it did not hear from Trellis.
Correspondence with MPHA provided by Williams shows the agency's attempts to reach Trellis about whether repairs had been made.
Williams believes she was within a week of having to move out in February when a Legal Aid attorney called MPHA to resolve the matter.
Tenants have met at nearby Sumner Library to share stories and brief local leaders how living conditions.
“I was in awe,” Williams said. “If (Trellis) didn’t fix it, why would you have me move out and live in the street? I’ve been through all of that.”
An MPHA spokesman said the agency can not comment on specific clients. However, the spokesman said property owners are responsible for showing proof of repair and can not retaliate against a tenant.
“(In) some cases when a unit at a property… no longer meets HUD requirements, the contract with the landlord/property owner for that unit can be voided and the participant would be able to relocate while maintaining their voucher” the spokesman said in an email to North News. “The intent is to hold the owner accountable for repairs, without punishing the program participant for damage they did not cause.”
In three letters provided by Williams, that was not clear.
Many who live at Park Plaza have some sort of housing instability story. There are immigrant families, while other residents are on fixed incomes through social security or disability. Some were homeless at some point and saw their apartment as a lifeline.
This letter made Crystal Williams believe she would be homeless. The Minnesota Public Housing Authority told North News she would not have been evicted. Photo provided by Crystal Williams
“This stuff just kicked up my anxiety,” said Robert Coleman, whose talent as a painter secured him an artist subsidy for a Park Plaza apartment. “I don’t want to go back to being homeless.”
Renovations on the five buildings began in September. Trellis has relocated tenants, one floor at a time, to vacant units so that apartments can be fitted with new cabinets, countertops, flooring, circuit breakers, and fire suppression systems.
Some, like Jimerson and Williams, have returned to their apartment with dust and debris from remodeling and their belongings and furniture piled in the middle of the rooms. Jimerson said she was told the crews would be careful and place plastic over items. She came home to clothes in her sink, boxes in all rooms and a couch propped up on its side. A month after her return, she remains overwhelmed by the weight of all she has to move.
Renovations are not the only cause for consternation among tenants.
In their meetings, residents shared documents showing unexplained rent hikes, balances and notices to vacate, even after securing their rental subsidy through recertification.
Tenant Jessica Clark shows Dieu Do, an aide to City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison, a letter from Trellis management that she said threatened eviction.
On-site property managers tell the tenants the letters are standard and not to worry if they’ve already recertified through an online portal. But tenants say the tone of the letters is difficult to shake.
“There are individuals who have already resubmitted their certification in January, and I am one of them,” said tenant Jessica Clark. “In one day, I got two emails threatening me. They were taking possession of my apartment in 60 days unless I submitted my recertification. Then, in the afternoon, put this (same) letter on my door. That’s three threatening communications in one day. This is bullying.”