HOUSTON – A woman says she and her three young sons have been forced to live in hot, moldy conditions for three months now, at her Cuney Homes apartment in Third Ward.
This, after telling KPRC 2′s Deven Clarke that crews took away her air conditioning unit and never replaced it.
She says the Houston Housing Authority, which oversees the complex, has ignored her cries for help until now.
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She says the conditions she’s been living in have been uncomfortable, sickening and expensive. Tonight, the HHA is apologizing and working to make things right.
When we went to the unit, the smell of sour air and mildew filled the top floor. The tenant—who asked not to be identified—is convinced the mold is causing the stench.
“I didn’t even know that she told me to pull the blinds back and she said, ‘it’s all over his blinds.’ That’s what the inspector showed me,” she said.
The mother of three young boys says black and white mold began growing three months ago, after a crew removed the upstairs AC unit in order to make repairs.
She says not only did they not replace the AC, but they also failed to properly seal the window.
“It was a whole bunch of furry stuff. It looks almost like a caterpillar,” the tenant said. “My baby is complaining.”
She says health issues with her 3-year-old began to surface.
“He started getting this raspy cough,” she said.
She says her oldest son also started getting nosebleeds, and she was forced to shell out money to stay in a hotel as long as she could afford it.
“This is unacceptable,” activist Candice Matthews said. “So, this requires a federal investigation, because those families should not be living like that. This is under the Houston Housing Authority. They have a responsibility to ensure that these people don’t live like this.”
The HHA is promising to make things right.
Here’s the full statement from the HHA:
“The Houston Housing Authority provides affordable homes and services to more than 60,000 low-income Houstonians. We are committed to transparency, safety, and serving the needs of our community.
We are reaching out to inform you of a recent development at Cuney Homes concerning a malfunctioning air conditioning unit. Our priority is always the comfort and well-being of our residents, and upon being made aware of the issue, we have taken immediate action.
We have been diligently working alongside our property managers and management team to address the situation swiftly. As of 4:30 PM, the AC unit was replaced by property management. For the inconvenience, we will also be providing the resident with accommodations at a local hotel during the duration of the holiday weekend.
We understand the inconvenience this may cause and assure you that we are working tirelessly to resolve the issue promptly. Our residents’ comfort and safety remain our utmost concern, and we are committed to providing updates as the situation progresses.”