LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Wednesday will mark a week since some seniors at an apartment complex in Lee's Summit had a permanent place to live.
A pipe burst and flooded several floors at Wilshire Hills I near 83rd St. and Northeast Manhattan Drive.
According to an incident report from the Lee's Summit Fire Department, eighteen rooms were deemed uninhabitable due to safety hazards.
The apartment complex is home to low-income seniors.
Carla Potter said her unit may have sustained the worst damage.
"I have no bathroom ceiling," Potter said. "You're looking into the attic of the apartment building, my coat closet, the ceiling collapsed on all of my personal stuff in that closet."
Potter has lived at Wilshire Hills for just three months. She said she doesn't have nearby family or friends.
Like most seniors, she's on a fixed income.
"All I can say, I'm basically homeless now," Potter said. "I may be living in my car after this…after a few days."
Potter and some other tenants managed to get a discounted rate at a hotel in the city.
An apartment tenant who wanted to remain anonymous said her insurance started covering her hotel stay, but she hasn't received any help from Fairway Management.
"It's like they never helped us," the woman told KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson. "That evening, they didn't have a back-up emergency plan to help place us seniors."
The tenant said this is new territory for her, but she is sharing her frustrations to let people know what's happening at the apartment complex.
"I’ve never been in this situation before and it scared me," she said. "We’re having to do this on our own, but there’s a management company taking care of the building."
The management company did discuss prorating a refund for rent with Potter.
That's the extent of the assistance she's getting right now because she said her insurance is not reimbursing her for anything.
"I have nowhere to live," Potter said. "I have no one to turn to."
According to their lease, Fairway Management is liable for flood damage and loss of a tenant's property.
They have 30 days to make repairs until the lease can be terminated.
Assistance for the tenants is limited in every direction and they're asking for Fairway Management to give them more options.
"Please help us," Potter said. "Please help us in any way you can."
KSHB 41 reached out to Fairway Management multiple times about how they're assisting tenants.
The company declined to comment.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the apartment complex is not a HUD-subsidized property.
However, it does have a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) designation.
Those properties are overseen by the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC).
KSHB 41 reached out for comment Tuesday evening about whether they can provide any assistance.
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
