SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A sewage spill inside Phillips Plaza has renewed concerns from tenants at the Salt Lake City senior housing complex, where residents previously reported months of unreliable air conditioning.
Joe Lucero said a recent raw sewage line broke inside the building. The common area required a hazmat-level response, and "crews removed carpet after pumping out water," he said.
WATCH | New trouble at Phillips Plaza as Housing Authority plans funding shift
“It took them a minute. They sucked all the water out, and then they tore the carpeting out,” Lucero said. “I hope they’re not just going to patch it up, ’cause you could smell that mold.”
A hole remains in the ceiling of the common area. Lucero said he is frustrated with the conditions and wants to leave Phillips Plaza.
“Seniors want to feel safe, and that’s not happening,” tenant Tommy Candelaria said.
FOX 13 first reported on problems at Phillips Plaza this summer, when tenants said they had gone months without reliable air conditioning. At the time, Housing Authority of Salt Lake City Executive Director Daniel Nackerman called the issue urgent and said the agency cared deeply about the seniors living there.
Salt Lake City
'It's like a hot box;' more SLC senior residents speak out over cooling problems
The Housing Authority said it provided additional air conditioners and worked on the building’s cooling system. Lucero said his unit now cycles between cold and warm air and is not a steady fix.
The agency says it has also been working through a broader list of needs at the aging building, including its chiller, water systems and fire suppression.
Phillips Plaza is one of two Housing Authority properties still in its old public-housing program, according to the agency. The authority plans to move the property to the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, program, a project-based Section 8 model.
In a written response, the Housing Authority said the conversion will place the property under its direct control, provide more funding for the older building and give tenants more choices than the old public-housing program.
Current tenants will sign new leases when the conversion occurs while retaining the right to remain, according to federal RAD guidance.
For Lucero, the planned change comes after years of waiting for other housing help. He said he first applied for Section 8 in 2014 and reapplied in 2020 with his caseworker and therapist but still has not received Section 8 assistance.
“In the meantime, I’m frustrated,” Lucero said. “Everything’s going on here. I want to get out of here.”