4-Year-Old Boy Falls from Apartment Window in Bronzeville
On Memorial Day, a 4-year-old boy named Kevin fell out of a third-floor apartment window on the city’s South Side — an incident that his mother says could have been prevented.
The fall happened at a CHA-subsidized unit located in the 3700 block of South Vincennes Avenue in Bronzeville. While Kevin miraculously survived the fall with only minor injuries, the accident has raised serious questions about housing safety for vulnerable residents.
Kevin was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital, where doctors performed evaluations for possible head or spine trauma. He landed in bushes, which likely helped minimize injuries. But his family remains deeply shaken.
Mother Points to Repeated Safety Failures
Kevin’s mother, Lekesha Sails, said she has been pleading with property management for years to address safety issues in their unit.
“I told them this apartment wasn’t safe,” Sails told reporters. “The windows don’t have screens. The patio door doesn’t lock. The wiring is exposed. My son has autism — how many more warnings did they need?”
Sails claims the window from which Kevin fell had no safety screens, and that the exit lever was within reach of her son. She also noted that Kevin’s condition, being on the autism spectrum, requires heightened environmental care — something she says the management has failed to acknowledge.
Despite multiple complaints, relocation efforts were either denied or delayed. Now, she’s calling for accountability.
CHA and Property Owner Respond
The apartment is part of a mixed-income development where some units are subsidized by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), but the building itself is owned and managed by The Community Builders (TCB).
In a statement, CHA clarified their role:
“This is a privately-owned building where CHA provides rental assistance. However, resident safety is a top priority, and we are working with The Community Builders to investigate this incident fully.”
The Community Builders (TCB) has not issued a public comment as of now. It’s unclear whether any safety violations were previously cited in the unit.
For context, CHA provides housing assistance to over 60,000 Chicagoans through a variety of programs — many of which include partnerships with private developers like TCB. But questions remain about how safety standards are monitored in these partnerships.
How Could This Happen?
This incident has raised community concern over how many units across the city — especially those housing children with special needs — are operating without basic safety protections.
- No window screens or bars on upper-level units
- Broken locks or doors that allow child access to balconies or exits
- Lack of inspection follow-up despite repeated resident complaints
Autism advocacy groups have also spoken out in similar past incidents, noting that children with sensory and impulse disorders are at greater risk if homes aren’t adapted accordingly.
A Wake-Up Call for Housing Providers?
While Kevin is expected to recover, advocates say this incident should prompt broader review of how CHA-partnered properties are maintained — and whether vulnerable families are being heard.
Residents across Bronzeville and neighboring communities have called on the CHA and TCB to implement better window safety standards, conduct surprise inspections, and ensure timely responses to safety-related complaints.
The mother is now demanding relocation to a safer unit and is reportedly considering legal action.
Have you or someone in your neighborhood experienced poor conditions in a CHA-affiliated apartment? What safety measures do you believe should be standard for families with young children?
Share your story in the comments below — and stay connected with ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com for updates on local housing issues and tenant rights.
Sources:
- Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) – Official Website
- The Community Builders (TCB) – Property Owner Site
- Comer Children’s Hospital – University of Chicago Medicine
