Residents at The Sutherland Apartments, located at 47th and Drexel, claim the property owner, Heartland Alliance, has allowed building to deteriorate. Many years ago, it was the site of a hotel and was once the home to many jazz greats, including Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.
A group of residents wanted to shine the spotlight on Heartland by staging a tent city protest Thursday morning outside the company's office in the Loop.
"We have not come to this tent city by some knee jerk reaction. we have endured meeting after meeting with heartland housing with at best patch work responses. we deserve quality affordable housing and are no longer playing by heartland's rules," said Jitu Brown, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization.
Heartland representatives met with the group and agreed to do a thorough extermination of the building. Also, a hotline is being created so residents can reach Heartland directly. They hope to address other complaints in follow up meetings.
