LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A group of local lawmakers and elderly residents gathered at the entrance to Dosker Manor apartments Wednesday morning to say "enough is enough."
"Welcome to Louisville Metro Council District 4. I wish it was under different circumstances, but our city isn't always as pretty as some people portray it to be," District 4 Councilmember Jecorey Arthur said.
Dosker Manor is a collection of affordable housing towers with a combined 685 units owned by the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. It's located on Muhammad Ali Boulevard, just north of UofL Hospital.
Several council members and residents said communal hallways and elevators lack air conditioning, there is a bed bug and cockroach problem and black mold throughout the building.
"I talked to one resident who said, 'At this point, the roaches might as well help pay the rent.' Because they're there just as often as he is," Arthur said.
WHAS11 and other media outlets were escorted by councilmembers through the largest building and into a handful of units.
"There are resources out there, and best believe [ the Codes and Regulations Department] is going to be brought in on this," Tammy Hawkins, (D) District 1 Councilwoman, said. "Imagine yourself, your mother, your father living in these conditions."
Donald Neafus, a resident of Dosker Manor, called on Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg to step in.
"We got black mold, our bathrooms are coming down," Neafus said. "Come and get some good contractors who know what they're doing. Come in here and fix this place. Because if not, y'all gonna lose a lot of good people around here."
Hawkins said they have made contact with the Mayor's office and David Kaplan, Greenberg's chief of staff, about the issues.
"We are well aware that the mayor and the new administration just adopted a lot of these problems, but guess what, I did too," Hawkins said, referring to joining Metro Council in January. "The issues that this city faces with housing is unacceptable. To have seniors living --disabled residents-- living in conditions like this is unacceptable."
Residents like Neafus said when he moved in it was strictly a place for seniors but it is not that way anymore.
Arthur also said a big concern is residents not knowing how to submit maintenance requests.
WHAS11 reached out to the Louisville Metro Housing Authority for comment. LMHA Director Lisa Osanka said the agency received a "notice of concerns" from seven units on Aug. 18. The complaints expressed concerns of possible mold and two were regarding bugs.
"While previously unreported to Property Management, stated concerns about mold in three units were received by LMHA that Friday," Osanka said. "Earlier this week LMHA Property Maintenance staff inspected the units and arranged for LMHA’s environmental testing consultant to test those units this Friday, August 25th."
Osanka said maintenance staff inspected the units and two additional units and found "no indictors of mold."
One unit, which had been previously tested for mold, the environmental testing consultant recommended the unit's resident be temporarily relocated for a day while crews worked to "remediate the unit." Osanka said property management is working with that resident at this time.
As for the bugs, Osanka said LMHA-licensed exterminators try to inspect each unit on a quarterly basis.
"In the two units that complained of bugs last Friday only minor indications of bugs were identified, and proper treatment was provided and follow up will be scheduled as needed," Osanka said. LMHA schedules quarterly inspections of units by exterminators because we know that preventive efforts in partnership with residents is key in addressing pests."
Osanka advised residents to directly report concerns as soon as possible by calling 502-569-4818.
When asked multiple times when the council members want change to be implemented at Dosker Manor, District 8 Councilman Ben Reno-Weber said it's too early to say right now.
"We need to realistically set a plan, but what we want to see is, 'This is the plan and here's milestones.' And I think we're early-on in this that we will know the answer, but we don't have it today," he said.
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