The Town Council Members and staff have been addressing concerns within our reach, such as the issue with the backup battery power not functioning during the recent power outage.
We have been in contact with Victory Village’s management company, Resources for Community Development (RCD). RCD’s communications director has shared the following message:
Resources for Community Development continues to prepare for power outages across our portfolio, including at Victory Village where the community is at a higher risk of power problems. After very careful consideration, we chose to purchase a battery that is powered by excess electricity generated by the rooftop solar photo voltaic system. It is not a generator. We regret that the new battery was not yet fully installed when the storms hit earlier this week. We continue to actively follow up with our vendor, which has struggled with supply-chain delays for critical parts and anticipate the system will be fully functional very soon.
The battery will ensure a one-time return of elevators – meaning the elevators will safely lower to the ground floor. It will also provide on-going load support for certain dedicated circuits to power lights in the lobbies and corridors on the first, second, and third floors, and the community room with its refrigerator and a common place for cell phone charging, etc. With this system, we should be able to generate a good amount of power, even on cloudy and rainy days.
During the most recent power outage, on-site staff invited residents to charge their personal devices, and store and cook food in the community room and its kitchen using a small generator. Approximately 10-15 residents did so.
Victory Village residents on the first- and second floor have ground-level access to enter and exit the building. Residents on the third floor must use one flight of stairs when elevators are not operating. Property management has repeatedly offered all third-floor residents with mobility issues the opportunity to move to a first-floor apartment.
We also understand there are concerns about the guest of a resident who passed away while visiting the property on February 2, 2024. The resident hosting the guest alerted property management about the emergency, the property manager called 911, and police handled the situation. The coroner determined the guest died of natural causes.
Victory Village is an independent living community for seniors with low incomes. In the last year, a few members of its community passed away. Property management has a wellness check policy and protocol, reviewed and approved by RCD. Staff held a meeting in the spring to explain the policy to residents and answer questions. A letter addressing these concerns was sent in November, and staff held another related meeting last month. Staff encourage residents to communicate their concerns and follow-up on those reports. However, staff cannot communicate residents’ personal information and related health details to concerned parties. This is a source of frustration to some residents, but RCD and the John Stewart Company afford all residents a right to privacy.
Questions and concerns
Inquiries can be directed to Resources for Community Development (RCD) at contact@rcdhousing.org.