Ann Marie Malizia doesn’t have positive reviews of her apartment building.

“Nothing works. It’s dirty. Maintenance men don’t come when you need them. Things aren’t getting fixed,” she said. 

She lives on the third floor of St. Joseph Apartments. It’s an affordable housing building in Erie.

An elevator in her building has been broken for weeks. It takes residents to part of the third floor.

Malizia doesn’t live in that area, but she’s worried about those who do.

“The majority of those people are either amputees, in a wheelchair, [or] with walkers,” she said. “You might find a handful that can walk on their own.

There are stairs to that area. They have a chair lift - but it, too, is broken. She said it hasn’t worked in months.

That means it’s been hard for people like Shirley Bloodworth to leave their apartment. 

“I can make it without carrying anything,” she said. “I’ll turn my dog loose and let him run.”

The building is run by the Housing and Neighborhood Development Service, also known as HANDS.

“It’s frustrating for all of us and disappointing that sometimes it takes so long to have repairs made,” said Matthew Good, the chief executive officer of HANDS.

They’ve offered to relocate residents.

A property manager was putting up surveys Thursday to ask residents if they need help.

Good thinks the elevator will be fixed in a few weeks.

“I don’t wish for this on anybody, and wish I had more control over an elevator company and their timing on providing parts,” he said. 

He said they’re looking into getting a new chair lift, too.

Malizia said it’s too little, too late. 

“Even if you don’t have a lot of money, you’re still doing your part. You’re still paying your rent,” she said. “You’re supposed to have a safe shelter to live in and I just don’t think it’s right.”