All Residents Of Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments Ordered Out

The Tulsa Fire Department is giving tenants more time to move out of the Vista Shadow Mountain apartments because of unsafe living conditions.

The fire marshal's office announced it is extending the deadline to 5 p.m. Friday evening, because of how difficult it is for people to find a new place to live. Residents say they feel traumatized and betrayed by this experience and some of the non-profit workers I talked to.....say it's taken a toll on them too.

"This is third-world conditions," says resident Sandra Edwards. "I had water leaking through electrical. I had to puncture my ceiling to bleed it so I wouldn't get an electrical short."

Tons of moving trucks and loaded cars have been coming in and out of the apartment all day to help tenants move.

This comes after an inspection from the Tulsa Fire Department revealed issues from water damage, mold, and even exposed wiring. Some residents are moving their last bits of things into temporary homes while others are still trying to find a place to stay. For Edwards, she says she might have found a place to stay, but her struggles are still stacking up.

"I don't have any money now for gas and food because I've been moving, helping, giving, more than my share because the government has betrayed us," Edwards said. 

James Reynolds with the Landlord-Tenant Resource Center says being in the middle of this has been a struggle for him too personally.

"The word for it is traumatic," Reynolds said. "It's traumatic and it's a crisis. I'm witnessing grandparents, their children, and their grandkids all going through this process. So my goal is to soften the blow."

A handful of non-profits were also here trying to help people move out as much as they can. Reynolds says as hard as this was for everyone involved, the silver lining was that everyone came together to help fellow Tulsans out.

"Piece by piece, this is how we can make a difference," Reynolds said. 

Management has until July 28th to make sure all apartment buildings are secure.