JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A city-owned apartment complex in Brentwood is once again dealing with a growing number of issues.
Residents living at the Twin Towers have complained about sewage leaking into their homes, and now they are claiming to have mushrooms growing out of their walls.
They said they have repeatedly gone to management and JHA about the problem, but they say they keep getting the runaround. Residents are fed up.
“I’m terribly upset,” resident Calvin Johnson said.
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“It’s very depressing,” resident Tammy Sowell said.
“I’m frustrated,” resident Marva Knight said.
Knight is one of many residents at this Jacksonville Housing Authority property who is tired of the growing problems happening there – literally.
“We’ve had more leakage, more sewage, mushrooms growing in my bathroom in several different places,” Knight said.
Action News Jax Annette Gutierrez spoke with her and Calvin Johnson last month about feces and urine in their homes.
“It’s about the same problem in my house,” Johnson said. “I came home Monday night, when I opened my kitchen door it was flooded with water.”
Now, Knight claims there are mushrooms growing out of their walls.
“I was terrified,” Knight said. “When the mushrooms were growing, I was in the house with the mushrooms for a whole 3 days.”
But she wasn’t the only one. Another resident saved it in a Ziploc bag and called code enforcement.
And Sowell said she is dealing with roaches, mice, AC problems, and sewage leaks that are so bad, she has to put her clothes in garbage bags to keep them from getting wet.
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“You can put in for a transfer and that’s what I did, and I’ve been waiting in this cesspool ever since, and it’s been hell,” Sowell said.
Gutierrez reached out to the city, and the spokesperson told me the code inspector’s office had passed the complaints along to JHA
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spokesperson said they are in contact with JHA regarding the “inadequate condition of the property.” They said JHA is working to address the plumbing and air conditioning condensation issues.
JHA sent an emailed statement as well saying, “Our number one priority is the welfare and safety of our residents.”
“I don’t have the income to go anywhere else…” Knight said. “I’m stuck between a rock and hard place.”
JHA told Gutierrez over the phone, they had plumbers fix the sewage problem last month. and the plumbers said they found wipes clogging the pipes. The spokesperson said when plumbers returned to fix the most recent sewage problem, they found wipes again. JHA said residents were told not to flush those items down the toilet.
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Friday morning, residents plan to go to the JHA commissioners meeting to share their grievances.
Here are the full statements from JHA and HUD:
JHA: “Our number one priority is the welfare and safety of our residents. We are working to resolve the complaints at Twin Towers quickly, as well as the root cause of why the problems persist.”
HUD: “The safety and security of residents in HUD-assisted housing is a top priority for HUD. We are aware of concerns expressed by some residents. HUD is in close contact with the Jacksonville Housing Authority’s Interim Executive Director, Roslyn Mixon-Phillips regarding the inadequate condition of the property, and continue to monitor the Jacksonville Housing Authority to ensure progress. The housing authority is exploring both short- and long-term strategies to address the plumbing and air conditioning condensation issues. This includes a physical needs assessment that includes plumbing, inspection of pipes for repair/replacement, resident communication strategies on housekeeping and resident responsibilities, and more while ensuring continual wellbeing of the residents.”
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