Residents detail continued issues at Westcott Apartments

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Residents at Westcott Apartments in South Bend are having to use port-a-potties outside in the heat amid ongoing water issues.

While the port-a-potties are meant to be temporary, they're on a laundry list of issues residents brought up.

Tenant Gary May says this just isn't a proper bathroom solution, while the complex reportedly works to fix ongoing water issues.

"Are they even going to be able to go to the bathroom without passing out from heat exhaustion, mainly older folks that have respiratory issues, and those that have disabilities that are in wheelchairs," said May.

May took me throughout the apartment complex, showing me different problem areas.

"There's been open panels, cut open drywall, and exposed pipes for the entire duration that I've been here. Numerous leaks, leaking into the walls, the paint bubbling up from the water," said May.

But the South Bend Housing Authority said the hall has been blocked off by a steel door for several years due to pipe issues.

They say residents have known for some time that they wouldn't be able to access water in their apartments today.

"We have work going on in a hallway that a prior director closed because there was a sewer issue, and we had to cut the water off today...It is normal repair, they have air and water, everything, they got two weeks notice that repair was happening today, and this is the way it had to happen," said Marsha Parham-Green, South Bend Housing Authority CEO and executive director.

The Housing Authority of South Bend provided several flyers notifying residents of periodic water shutoffs.

May says problems at this complex have gone on for years, and that today's situation could've been better with some extra gestures, like providing free water bottles.

Parham-Green said no one is living in the hallway with exposed pipes, and their goal is to fix the plumbing issues so they can re-open the hall and 12 apartments units.

"We're working on repairing that sewer line because we attempted three other times, and residents keep using their water, which prevents us from getting that fixed. The reason we had to do it this way, was because the residents ignored the letters, and continued to use the bathroom," said Parham-Green.

May mentioned multiple times that he worries about retaliation for speaking out, but he'll continue to do so no matter what.

Editorial Note: This story was edited on July 9 to include additional details from the Housing Authority of South Bend.