'Everybody's stuck': Seniors stranded after elevator breaks in Vancouver apartment building
Richard Perriment says he's been trapped inside his apartment for over a week.
The 70-year-old Vancouver man lives at Lutheran Manor, a seniors apartment complex on West 10th Avenue.
The only elevator in the seven-storey building has been out of service for 10 days, shut down after a brake coil burnt out.
Perriment — who struggles with mobility and uses a motorized scooter to get around — said he and many of his neighbours have been stuck in their suites since then.
"I can't get out. I can't manage the stairs. I can't go to doctors' appointments," the senior told CBC News. "And there's a lot of people in worse shape than me, that's for sure. They're really hurt by this, and we just don't see an end to it."
Perriment's next-door neighbour, Irene Livingston, uses a walker and said she struggles with the steps as well.
"After I start to go down the stairs, I get a sore leg, a sore back," the 85-year-old said. "Everybody's stuck."
Both seniors have been living on the building's fourth floor for over a decade.
"The elevator is always breaking down. Usually, it's just a day or two until they get [it] back working again ... [But] this time, it's been broken for over a week now," Perriment said.
Livingston added: "You just kind of sigh and say, 'here we go again.'"
Obsolete
The complex is run by the Lutheran Manor Society — a non-profit dedicated to creating affordable living spaces for seniors.
A notice posted beside the elevator states the part needed to fix the elevator was discontinued.
"[Manufacturer] Schindler Elevator has checked with all their approved vendors and this part is no longer available," the note read. "The burnt coil was removed from the elevator and is being [overhauled] and will be reinstalled as quickly as possible."
Beneath the sign is the contact information for pastor Cliff Reinhardt. He works at the Spirit of Life Lutheran Church, which is attached to the apartment building and has offered to help anyone who can't get up and down the stairs.
"I'm dismayed. I wish the elevator were back up and running," the pastor told the CBC. "We're doing our best."
Reinhardt said management from Lutheran Manor has reached out to B.C. Housing several times, requesting extra funding to replace the 40-year-old elevator altogether.
However, the pastor said B.C. Housing has only insisted the society find a way to fix the existing lift.
The corporation provides rental subsidies for the low-income residents.
In a statement, it said "B.C. Housing is working with [Lutheran Manor Society] to ensure the elevator is repaired as soon as possible," although it did not specify exactly what steps were being taken.
CBC News has also reached out to the Lutheran Manor Society for comment.
Sitting, waiting
Meanwhile, residents like Perriment and Livingston will have to continue to wait.
"I play on my computer. I play music. I read. I eat, I sleep. I just make it through the day. But it's challenging," Perriment said. "I'm feeling pretty vulnerable."
With files from CBC's Rhianna Schmunk
