State lawmakers visit Rocky Hill apartments as tenants wait for repairs to be completed

ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut lawmakers are applying pressure toward an out-of-state property ownership group after dozens of tenants were evacuated from a Rocky Hill Apartment building.

For two weeks, tenants of the Concierge Apartments have been living out of suitcases in hotel rooms due to water damage, no heat and other issues. JRK Holdings, the Los Angeles-based company which owns the complex, has been paying for their stays.

“This has been going on for some time now,” Emelia Yankey, who has been living at Concierge Apartments for three years, said about the issues. “This year was the worst.”

A portion of Connecticut’s congressional delegation met with tenants Tuesday to take a look inside as repairs continue. Three out of the five buildings are still undergoing repairs. 

“It’s frankly stunning to see that there’s no locks on the door. There’s supposed to be a key fob system, but the doors are wide open,” U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D) said. 

Both Sen. Murphy and Rep. John Larson (D) called the situation an avoidable crisis, amid an already severe national housing shortage. 

“You would hope that a company would learn from something like this, but as the senator pointed out, this is going to take legislation,” Rep. Larson said. 

Lawmakers said they are now pushing for limitations on out-of-state property investment firms, and for JRK Holdings to “put on the table a long-term investment plan to make sure that people get what they pay for,” Sen. Murphy said. 

Larson has since requested a federal investigation into JRK Holdings by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but said he has not yet been notified about whether an investigation has started. 

News 8 reached out to JRK Holdings for additional comments in response to the lawmakers’ visit, but has not heard back.