BOSTON — For the second day, students at UMass Boston were able to lug their essential items in trash bags and suitcases from the East Residence Hall, days after it was evacuated after a pipe burst.
Monday afternoon, a sprinkler pipe burst flooded several floors of the building that holds roughly 1,000 students.
Those students were forced to evacuate and leave essential items like clothing, prescriptions, school work, and more behind. They were shuttled to university-provided temporary housing at locations like Mt. Ida and Charles River campuses in Newton.
The university said on its website they are still evaluating other housing options. They claim the building will not reopen for “several days.”
Many students told Boston 25 this week that the temporary housing options were in poor condition and lacked basic amenities.
They also expressed frustration with the lack of communication from the school.
Thursday, students were allowed to pick up their belongings from 12-1:30 pm, and 3:30-5 pm. The school’s website said they are only allowed to go in for 10 minutes.
“UMass needs to do better,” said student Katerina Vatkin. “I’ve been on the verge of breaking down, and I’m trying to hold it together... I want an answer.”
She was one of many students to tell Boston 25 that she decided to stay at a motel Monday and Tuesday night instead of the temporary housing options due to reported poor conditions.
Vatkin picked up essential items inside her flooded dorm on Wednesday, explaining Thursday, “We were given trash bags, and now all my clothes kind of just reek of whatever it was in the water.”
She claimed there are students still scrambling to find housing for the time being.
“I still know people that are sleeping in campus center,” she said. “I’m utterly powerless. I don’t have concrete shelter.”
Another student, grabbing items from East Residence Hall, added, “I don’t feel it’s acceptable, especially for students who live in the dorm because we’re in a dorm for a reason.”
The university has been providing updates for students on their website at Residence Hall Support - UMass Boston.
Their website reads in part:
“We know this disruption is stressful for students and families. Our immediate priority is supporting affected students with temporary housing, meal access, essential items, and necessary accommodations to help maintain as much normalcy as possible.
We will continue to assess the building and share updates. Please continue to monitor your UMass Boston email closely for additional updates and instructions as they become available."
In response, students have begun a petition, demanding that the school adopt better emergency communication protocols.
There is still no timetable as to when the building will open up fully.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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