Modena Some mothers look out at the stairwell, while the children go down: “Everything okay?”. Someone else however moved forward, going first the 14 floors with the stroller, and then going back up to pick up the little one. And then there are those who simply don’t go out, asking for a hand to relatives and friends to bring up the shopping. Happens at the condominium in via delle Costellazioni 170, at Villaggio Zeta, the tower block that has long been at the center of various news stories due to the rather complex reality ofthe buildingwhich in its 14 floors hosts the Extraordinary Reception Centre (about a third) managed by the L’Angolo cooperative, a series of apartments whose families I am managed by social services of the Municipality (for another third) and several private apartments (for the remaining third).
A very complex situation in the tallest building in the city, for a reality made even more difficult by a significant technical problem: since last Fridayso a week, both elevators in the building are out of order. A problem whose solution is not immediate, since the managers of the complex – the Hyma company – they moved immediately to request the replacement of the broken piece, which however was slow in arriving. The consequences are imaginable, with many families in difficulty, especially those who live on the upper floors, which largely coincide with those followed by services. «In several cases it is about families with children – they explain from parish of San Paolo, which has long collaborated with families, from the distribution of meals to after-school care – which today are in great difficulty, from the problem of shopping to accompanying children to school. The hope is that the problem will be resolved as soon as possible, because a week without a lift for a 14-storey building is already too long.” And precisely to help families, this afternoon the children of the parish, together with the scouts, will organize a sort of “team” to bring water to the upper floors. «This is just one of the many inconveniences that these people have to face – the volunteers continue – which range from the precarious conditions of the accommodation, where they often find themselves having to stay 5 in a room, to the lack of running water on the highest floors: a early January, just to give an example, some mothers came to us to get water, because it often happens that there isn’t enough pressure, or that in winter there isn’t any hot water.”
But how much longer will it take to fix the elevator? «Unfortunately it’s about an old facility – explains Franco Garretto of Hyma, the company that manages the state-owned building – and it is not easy to find spare parts. In any case, we took action immediately, and within a few days we hope to resolve at least this problem. At the same time, we have implemented a program to adapt the building which is in first place the replacement of elevators with a new system, although this aspect depends on the property. Having said that, for the most immediate needs we have installed an electric stairlift to ensure that those with walking problems, aided by the concierge staff, can use it to go up these days.” Regarding the difficulties of the building, Garretto thinks «that the problems should not be hidden: undoubtedly there are several, but we are doing everything possible to improve the situation».
