COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's almost the deadline for hundreds living in Colonial Village to relocate. The city is using resources to help them but this has residents of Wedgewood Village Apartments asking, ‘what will it take to help us?’
A Wedgewood resident said he and his family went days with no hot water.
Nearly one year ago, there was damage inside a unit at Wedgewood when a ceiling gave out due to burst pipes.
"I just ask that they would come and they would do what they're supposed to do and take care of different things in Wedgewood and you know, it wouldn't get this bad,” the resident who lived there at the time told 10TV.
Now, another resident is sharing photos to show the conditions. He said they have issues with mice, cockroaches and bed bugs. On top of that, they went days without hot water.
10TV took the lack of hot water concerns to the city. We learned Thursday afternoon the issue was identified at one building and service was restored.
But this resident, who didn't want to go on camera for safety concerns, said he feels forgotten and frustrated while watching the city step in to help hundreds living in substandard conditions at Colonial Village Apartments.
"I want him to know and everyone living at Wedgewood that 100% they are not forgotten,” said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein. “The biggest difference between Wedgewood, Colonial Village and say, the Sawyer Towers, is the fact of cooperation and accountability for the landowner.”
The following statement was provided over the phone to 10TV by Anthony Celebrezze, deputy director of building and zoning services:
"Management [at Wedgewood] has regularly worked to comply with issue orders and they continue to, work and comply orders. So there's not an emergency situation out there. The situation in some people's eyes may not be good but it doesn't rise to the level of a vacate through code enforcement."
Celebrezze went on to explain two factors are needed to stay up to code: running water and heat.
Colonial Village did not have either in many units.
For Wedgewood, Klein was asked what it would take for his office to step in.
“Every step of the way thus far Wedgewood, has responded whether it was lighting or video, whether it's improving some of the conditions there for safety and sanitary, Wedgwood has responded,” he said. “Now, I said on the record many times that the moment Wedgewood stops responding will be the moment they find themselves in court.”