SHREVEPORT, La. — A resident of the United Jewelers Apartments in downtown Shreveport says recurring elevator outages have made daily life difficult for tenants, particularly those who are elderly or have disabilities.
 
The tenant, who contacted KTBS 3 and requested not to be identified, said the building's elevator has been out of service for extended periods, forcing residents to climb stairs to reach their apartments.
 
"It looked like a nice place to live. But after you lived there for six months, you realized you made a mistake," the tenant said.
 
United Jewelers Apartments is marketed online as a luxury apartment community in downtown Shreveport. However, the tenant said ongoing maintenance issues have made living there frustrating.
 
"The elevator keeps going out ... you got roaches everywhere," the resident said.
 
According to the tenant, the four-story building's elevator has been out of service for as long as seven months at a time. Most recently, the resident said the outage lasted about two to three months, making it difficult to attend medical appointments, carry groceries upstairs and leave the building.
 
The resident also said the repeated trips up and down the stairs have caused physical pain and led to a more isolated lifestyle.
 
"There are people in wheelchairs that normally would get out and get some sun or whatever," the tenant said. "They're basically trapped inside their home, like home arrest."
 
According to the building's assistant manager, the elevator was repaired Wednesday. She said it had been out of service for about six weeks while the property waited for specialized replacement parts.
 
HRI Properties, the New Orleans-based company that owns United Jewelers Apartments and Lee Hardware Apartments, said resident safety remains its top priority.
 
"The safety and well-being of our residents at United Jewelers is our highest priority. We understand the significant inconvenience and concern that an elevator outage creates, particularly for residents who rely on it for daily mobility," the company said in a statement.
 
HRI said staff conducted wellness checks during the outage to identify residents who needed assistance accessing the ground floor and emailed tenants encouraging them to contact the management office if they needed help.
 
The tenant disputed that claim.
 
The elevator is now back in service, but the tenant said the repeated outages have taken a toll and he plans to move out as soon as possible.
 
About four years ago, HRI Properties converted the historic building into apartments as part of the city's effort to increase residential housing in downtown Shreveport.

Originally published on ktbs.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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