ST. LOUIS — In May, a 4-year-old girl fell from a window of a home in St. Louis' Walnut Park neighborhood. Her mother told the I-Team she left it open due to a lack of air conditioning.
“That’s the window my daughter fell out of," Demika Williams said, pointing to the second story of the home she rents.
“And landed on the concrete?" Senior Investigative Reporter Paula Vasan asked.
“Yep," she said.
Williams said her 4-year-old daughter lay on the ground, bloodied and unconscious.
“It just kind of brings tears to my eyes because it's like my four-year-old. She don't deserve this," Williams said.
It happened on a day when temperatures were in the 80s. Without AC, Williams was forced to keep the windows open. She said they were windows with broken netting and no guards.
Williams said she did not know the home did not have air conditioning when she moved in because she moved in during the winter. The home had issues with heat. She said the landlord hired someone to fix the heat, but there was no effort to fix the AC, and she would not have moved in if she had known the home did not have it.
The I-Team obtained a copy of Williams' lease agreement. Housing experts we consulted said the agreement reflects a lack of transparency about what's provided.
“You can really tell that this is not safe for kids at all," she said.
Four-year-old Malaia spent three days in the hospital. Her mother said they have a $50,000 medical bill.
“She had to get physical therapy. She had to kind of learn how to walk because her whole left side was just messed up," the mother said.
We reached out to the landlord for a response. The landlord refused to be interviewed. He claimed air conditioning was not necessary and accused Williams of lying.
In Missouri, there is no state law requiring air conditioning. Instead, the law requires landlords to maintain livable conditions.
“The law is not being enforced," State Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins (D-77th District) said.
Collins said she believes laws need to change.
“I do think that the law is too vague," she said. “I think that it's absolutely ridiculous.”
In light of I-Team reporting, Collins said she’s prepared to push for stricter housing codes and enforce them.
“And I'm willing to take on that responsibility and hold myself accountable as a state legislator and take a look into it," Collins said.
Legal experts said Williams' situation is not unique.
Thousands of renters in the St. Louis region endure similar conditions, said Lee Camp, an attorney with the nonprofit legal advocacy organization ArchCity Defenders, and other housing experts.
In an email, Camp told the I-Team: “Too often, landlords are unresponsive to real concerns about the conditions in rental properties … I'd imagine Ms. Williams is facing the Sophie's choice that many renters encounter: Do I leave my house with no backup housing options for myself and my family, or do I endure the unsafe conditions in my home knowing that my family is sheltered but not sheltered in a safe manner?"
“It's horrible," Williams said.
For Williams and her daughter, the fight for safe housing is far from over. She said she hopes her story will bring about much-needed change for all renters.
The city said it will be inspecting Williams' property in light of the I-Team reporting.
Williams has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for her daughter’s medical expenses.
Resources
CooldownStLouis.org is helping area seniors and people with physical disabilities who qualify for new air-conditioning units and utilities this summer. Both categories must not have a working air conditioner unit to be considered. Only they should contact Cooldownstlouis.org through the automated hotline, 314-241-0001.
Low-to-moderate-income households may also seek utility assistance through the CoolDownStlouis.org website.
Want to contact Paula? Leave a voice message at 314-444-5231 or email her at pvasan@ksdk.com.