Residents of SkyHouse Austin, a 22-story high-rise on Rainey Street, said months of elevator outages have turned getting home into a daily ordeal, with wait times stretching to 20 minutes and some tenants forced to climb stairs despite injuries, breathing issues, or disabilities.
For one resident, the disruptions became so severe that he left his apartment and began staying with a friend.
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According to CBS Austin, tenants at SkyHouse Austin on Rainey Street said the building operated with only one elevator for months after two of its three went out of service. They said that the remaining elevator later failed too, intensifying concerns about access, safety, and whether it was practical to stay in their homes.
Repeated trips up the stairs are especially difficult for Major Oswald, who lives on the 22nd floor and said he has a sprained ankle and breathing problems. He said the situation became intolerable. “I see people moving in, and like, I just want to tell them to run away,” Oswald said…