COLUMBIA, S.C. — News 19 is continuing to push for documentation pertaining to the Allen Benedict Court Apartments after last week’s incident when two people were found dead in their apartments.
WLTX requested records of work orders at Allen Benedict Court and were given less than an hour to review them on Friday.
We requested to look at them again Tuesday and Diane Sumpter, whose company manages projects for the Columbia housing authority, said they'd be made available this week.
“You will absolutely get the documents and what we understand that you're asking for is all the requests of maintenance in that particular apartment and what was done about it-- glad to give you that information,” Sumpter said outside the Housing Authority office.
WLTX also filed multiple open records requests into code enforcement history, calls for service to the fire department, expense reports, and apartment inspection records after people moved out.
The City of Columbia confirmed they received the requests on Tuesday afternoon.
In the meantime, hundreds of residents are displaced and Sumpter says they have them in hotels.
“All of the residents have been moved, that's been our first concern. They've been moved to various hotels, but we knew in the beginning some of the hotels could only support us over the weekend. And we now have the Embassy Suites that has joined us in this effort and we're moving people there as we speak,” Sumpter said.
But there were some issues with crowded hotels over the weekend.
“Their rooms were up because we knew when we got them-- this was an emergency effort and being an emergency effort some of the hotels could only support us for the weekend, but we worked it out so they're going to the Embassy Suites and we're getting arrangements for longer periods of time,” Sumpter said again.
Sumpter said the Housing Authority and City have not decided on if or when Allen Benedict will reopen for residents.