‘The problem will only get worse’: P.E.I. accessible living complex in disrepair, say tenants

December 3, 2022

3 6 minutes read

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Damaged doorways, tough, patch-filled partitions, unfinished repairs and water leaking out of lighting.

Whereas that description could create the picture of an outdated deserted house, it’s truly the present state of one in every of Charlottetown’s few devoted accessible residing areas for folks with disabilities.

The Kay Reynolds Centre, named after the late incapacity rights advocate, was first opened within the early Nineteen Eighties as a rehabilitation centre to assist folks residing with disabilities learn to dwell independently.

The Kay Reynolds Centre was originally opened as a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities to help teach them how to live independently. However, the centre quickly became a permanent accessibility residence and has no staff on site. - Cody McEachern — The Kay Reynolds Centre was initially opened as a rehabilitation centre for folks with disabilities to assist train them dwell independently. Nonetheless, the centre shortly turned a everlasting accessibility residence and has no employees on website. – Cody McEachern

Nonetheless, the centre is now used as a everlasting housing area for these with mobility points and different disabilities.

For residents of the property, nevertheless, the constructing has grow to be much less accessible and fewer protected over time, as wanted updates and repairs seem to have fallen by the wayside.

“There’s a lot occurring and I’m not too positive the place to start out, with regards to it,” mentioned Curtis Kelly, a resident residing on the centre.

Injury from Fiona

Following post-tropical storm Fiona, ceilings in some items all through the centre started leaking attributable to injury to the roof, mentioned Kelly. When the leaks began, residents started calling the corporate in command of managing the property, APHL Inc., to get the roof repaired and the items fastened.

Nonetheless, the roof stays unrepaired to at the present time, mentioned Kelly, and it wasn’t tarped till just lately, inflicting additional injury to the centre’s items and hallways.

SaltWire Community referred to as APHL’s workplace and emailed Marla Affleck, who oversees the administration of the centre, on Nov. 29 however didn’t obtain a response.

For one resident, Kevin Hyde, the injury to the roof has left him unable to make use of his bed room when it rains.

Kevin Hyde, who lives at the Kay Reynolds Centre, says due to damage on the roof from Fiona, he is unable to use his bedroom when it rains. Instead, he covers his possessions with a tarp and sleeps on his living room floor, he says. - Cody McEachern — Kevin Hyde, who lives on the Kay Reynolds Centre, says attributable to injury on the roof from Fiona, he’s unable to make use of his bed room when it rains. As a substitute, he covers his possessions with a tarp and sleeps on his front room ground, he says. – Cody McEachern

On these days, Hyde, who has mobility points, finally ends up sleeping on the ground in his front room.

“I simply take the mattress off my mattress, it’s a $10,000 (medical) mattress,” he mentioned. “I’m not alleged to be reaching down and being on the ground.”

SaltWire Community took a tour of Hyde’s unit on Nov. 29. In his bed room, a blue tarp was draped over a pile of his possessions tucked away in a nook to guard them from the leaks.

The bed room is not the one place in his unit that leaks. Hyde mentioned water typically comes via the lavatory’s electrical fan vent and falls proper above the bathroom.

Kelly and Hyde additionally spoke of one other resident on the centre who has cerebral palsy. Kelly mentioned the resident will depend on a motorized door opener to permit him to securely entry his unit. Nonetheless, energy surges from Fiona have broken the machine, rendering it ineffective.

Kelly mentioned regardless of a number of calls to APHL’s workplace, the machine continues to be damaged, making getting out and in of the resident’s unit tough and harmful.

Kevin Hyde, a resident at the Kay Reynolds Centre, says he has to keep all his possessions under a tarp to keep them safe from the leaks in his bedroom ceiling. - Cody McEachern — Kevin Hyde, a resident on the Kay Reynolds Centre, says he has to maintain all his possessions underneath a tarp to maintain them protected from the leaks in his bed room ceiling. – Cody McEachern

Wanted repairs

Whereas these particular points have solely crept up since Fiona, each Kelly and Hyde mentioned they’ve lengthy seen points go unresolved.

Kelly mentioned a big subject that has residents fearful is the substitute of the centre’s home windows. He mentioned the corporate started working to interchange the home windows in the course of the summer time and had eliminated the caulking across the home windows and drilled pilot holes.

All progress stopped there, he mentioned.

“In the summertime, we have been instructed the home windows can be put in earlier than the tip of October. Now right here we’re nearing the tip of November, they usually nonetheless aren’t put in,” mentioned Kelly.

“Now, there’s some concern there could also be mould and stuff rising inside a few of the partitions the place these holes have been drilled. The home windows are sitting within the storage, however we’re nonetheless ready for them to return in and get them changed.”

A puddle formed on the main floor hallway of the Kay Reynolds Centre while SaltWire Network was touring the facility Nov. 29. The water was dripping out of an electric light fixture on the ceiling. - Cody McEachern — A puddle shaped on the primary ground hallway of the Kay Reynolds Centre whereas SaltWire Community was touring the ability Nov. 29. The water was dripping out of an electrical gentle fixture on the ceiling. – Cody McEachern

When SaltWire visited the centre, giant cuts may very well be seen across the window body on virtually each window on the centre’s fundamental ground, with no coverings to guard them from water and ice.

At one level, the window in Hyde’s front room fell out of its body and plummeted from the second ground to the bottom exterior. Whereas a brand new window was put in, the moulding on the within of Hyde’s condo was by no means reinstalled, leaving the naked wooden body and spray foam across the new window seen from the within.

“We’ve already had one window fall out of the constructing, so we’re a bit bit fearful that after we begin getting heavy quantities of snowfall and wind, the issue will solely worsen,” mentioned Kelly.

Curtis Kelly, a resident at the Kay Reynolds Centre, says a number of ceiling panels were damaged following Fiona, as leaks began to pop up throughout the centre. He says residents have informed the centre's management company, APHL Inc. multiple times, but the damage still remains. - Cody McEachern — Curtis Kelly, a resident on the Kay Reynolds Centre, says a lot of ceiling panels have been broken following Fiona, as leaks started to pop up all through the centre. He says residents have knowledgeable the centre’s administration firm, APHL Inc. a number of instances, however the injury nonetheless stays. – Cody McEachern

Historical past of neglect

On a fast stroll via the halls of the centre, one sees partitions plagued by tough, unmatched patches, automated doorway buttons loosely secured to the wall and a number of water stains alongside the ceilings.

On Nov. 29, water may very well be seen dripping out of a ceiling gentle fixture in the primary ground’s hallway. The water was coming from a leaking pipe above the sunshine.

Kelly, who has lived within the constructing for seven years and is a member of the centre’s board of administrators, mentioned he just lately spoke to former members of the board. He mentioned these conversations left him with the impression points with the property administration firm have been occurring for years.

“It seems to not be a brand new subject for minor upkeep on the time to be swept underneath the rug and be allowed to develop into a much bigger drawback,” he mentioned. “Like I mentioned, we’re nonetheless ready for a roof, we’re nonetheless ready for home windows. Even our (intercom) system is touch-and-go most days.”

Repairs at the Kay Reynolds Centre are difficult to get completed, says Curtis Kelly, a resident at the centre. He says if a repair does get done, it is often left half-finished. - Cody McEachern — Repairs on the Kay Reynolds Centre are tough to get accomplished, says Curtis Kelly, a resident on the centre. He says if a restore does get completed, it’s typically left half-finished. – Cody McEachern

Nowhere to go

Getting a difficulty taken care of by administration has grow to be virtually unattainable, mentioned Kelly. He mentioned the one manner residents can report a difficulty is by calling APHL and submitting a piece order. As soon as that’s completed, the residents are left with no different possibility however to attend.

“There isn’t a on-site administration, and even once we submit calls, they very hardly ever come into the constructing to examine it themselves,” he mentioned. “The actual fact is there are some tenants sitting round with main work orders that want completion.”

Regardless of that, Kelly mentioned for many, their restricted earnings and the shortage of inexpensive, accessible housing leaves them with no different possibility.

“Lots of the folks don’t have any different place to go,” he mentioned. “You’re hard-pressed to search out inexpensive housing in the marketplace if you find yourself able-bodied, so you’ll be able to think about how tough it’s for individuals who have accessibility points to discover a place.”

Selling rights

The Worldwide Day of Disabled Individuals, noticed on Dec. 3 since 1992, goals to advertise the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities in all spheres of society.
Regionally, Incapacity CARE P.E.I. is a coalition of organizations that assist and symbolize Islanders with disabilities. When you want incapacity assist, name 211 or go to 211.ca.

Cody McEachern is a enterprise reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He might be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @CodyInHiFi.

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