Killaloe & District Housing responds to complaints about broken elevator at Millstream Apartments

Editor’s Note: Recently The Current was notified of concerns expressed by members of the public about the out-of-service elevator at Millstream Apartments, the seniors’ residence in Killaloe (Above, photo E. Hugh Petrie). We reached out to the management and Board of Directors of Killaloe & District Housing Inc., and received the following statement to set the record straight:

It has come to the attention of the Board of Directors of Killaloe & District Housing Inc. (KDHC) that community concerns are being raised through social media regarding the failure of the elevator at Millstream Apartments. The information shared in these social media posts is inaccurate, misleading, and is causing undue stress and concerns for our residents and their families.

The elevator at Millstream Apartments experienced a malfunction on June 21, 2020. We took immediate action to schedule a repair. Over the next five weeks, five different repair attempts failed to keep the lift working. After the failure of the fourth repair, the board approved the replacement of the elevator’s computer and associated electronics and attempted one more repair. This was also unsuccessful and on July 29th the elevator was taken out of service.

The decision to undertake this replacement was necessary to ensure reliable elevator service to our residents. This is a major undertaking for KDHC with an estimated cost of approximately $31,400. KDHC is a non-profit organization and while we have reserve funds for unexpected events, this represents two years of our savings. We would welcome any and all financial support from our community.

Residents were promptly informed of the elevator’s repair status and the decision to replace the elevator’s computer system. At that time, they were also notified in writing of the timeframe to undertake this major repair, which was approximately eight weeks as of July 23rd. At the same time, measures were implemented to assist second floor tenants with day to day tasks requiring use of the stairs due to the elevator outage.

Dan Harrington, Chair of KDHC, said, “This has been a difficult time for our tenants and we greatly appreciate their understanding and the assistance they have been providing each other. I want to reiterate that second floor tenants are able to leave the second floor. Our General Manager, Kristen Callaghan, has taken exceptional steps to coordinate support assistance from community services such as Barry’s Bay Home Support and Renfrew County Community Paramedics in addition to personally offering her assistance to all second floor residents going up and down stairs, carrying groceries, garbage, recycling. “

Harrington added, “I have to say, I was disheartened to read community members’ comments suggesting that nothing has been done, that the tenants are disregarded and stranded. We all care about our seniors and that is how Millstream Apartments came to be. Since its inception in 1981, part of our mission is to enhance the lives of seniors by providing them with affordable housing in a manner that recognizes the dignity and quality of life of each person, and we remain committed to this mission. We cannot achieve this mission without community members’ support. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or our other board of directors.”

Callaghan,K.(2020,Sept.20) Killaloe & District Housing Inc. [media release]