COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Columbia apartment complex is under scrutiny following a fire on the property two weeks ago that displaced six people.
Residents at Hillandale Apartments say the units have mold, rodents and filth.
"I moved here July 1. I'm a single parent of a 4-year-old daughter. I'm only 23 years old. I lost everything in this fire," said Hillandale resident, Kacie Turner, in a press conference Wednesday in conjunction with One Common Cause: Community Control Initiative.
Turner is living in a hotel for the time being.
She's waiting for a unit to open at the Hillandale Apartments where she resides under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Although there are apartments available at the complex, Turner says what's being offered so far is a threat to her family's health.
"There is mold, there is patches where paste is just stuck in it...It's not livable for me and my daughter," said Turner. "My daughter has a weak immune system and health problems, so if she's exposed to any mold or anything in that apartment, it could affect her health issues really bad."
During a donation drive last week to help those displaced by the fire, members of One Common Cause: Community Control Initiative say residents expressed health and safety concerns about the property.
Now, the organization is stepping in to help.
"There were rat droppings, there were little vermin in the refrigerator. This is the apartment they gave her to live in with her four year old daughter," said Dr. Sonya Lewis, Chief Information Liaison for One Common Cause: Community Control Initiative, who toured the Hillandale Apartments Sunday. "There is black mold in some of these apartments that goes from the floor to the ceiling. I saw an old lady with a walker in a unit that has black mold on the wall."
Out of 200 units at the Hillandale Apartment complex, 17 use Section 8 vouchers. Those residents can choose which complex, and pay a small percentage of the rent. The Columbia Housing Authority pays the rest with funds from HUD.
Currently, a 1-bedroom apartment at the complex runs $425 a month, and a 2-bedroom is $500 a month.
Columbia Housing Authority CEO, Ivory Mathews, says although they don't own the property, they inspect their Section 8 units once a year. They also keep track of violations and concerns from their voucher recipients.
When looking into Hillandale Apartment records, Mathews says she found one instance of a neglected repair. That tenant was given a voucher to relocate.
"If for some reason the units do not meet the standards, that depends on what those not meeting the standards category falls in. If it's the health and safety standard, we require the landlord to make those repairs within 24 hours," said Mathews. "If the landlord chooses not to make the repairs, what we will do is we will terminate our rental assistance agreement with the landlord."
Willie Williams, the Assets Manager of Hillandale Apartments, tells News 19 all but one of the displaced residents from last month's fire are living in new units.
He says they're in the planning stages of a major renovation project.
"I've done an analysis on what needs to be done. I've reported those analysis to HUD, and they gave us 60 days to bring the property up to minimum property standards. We have until September 12 to complete that," said Williams. "They gave me no opportunity to come to the press conference today."
He says anyone expressing concerns with their living situation will be moved to another unit, and the building with the mold problem was shut down completely. The rooms with mold in this report, he adds, have been boarded up for the last 90 days.
"We're doing a total gutting of that building and rehabbing it totally, that's Building 4," said Williams. "We have plans to repair all of the units over the next 15 months."
Williams says certain requests by tenants looking to move to other units are waiting approval by the owner of the complex.
Maintenance is still underway as they replace gutters, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in every building.
Renovation plans, Williams says, have been sent to HUD.
"They'll have to approve what we're doing with the Section 8 units, and we'll have the units inspected as they're remodeled," he added.
It's been 14 years since the complex had a full remodel, thanks to a tax credit program.
"Y'all have put so many tenants through so much in the last couple of weeks," said Turner to apartment managers. "You may not see or feel the pain we're going through, but today my story will be heard."
Getting Help
If a tenant needs guidance on what rights they have, the Columbia Housing Authority recommends they reach out to the SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center. The organization helps with professional development training for CHA staff, and helps private landlords better understand their responsibilities as well.
"While we're advocating for tenants to understand what their roles and responsibilities are, it's certainly important for people who are in the property management business to understand what their roles are as well," said Mathews.
CHA is also looking to host virtual workshops for tenants to help educate them on their rights. If you'd like to be notified of the upcoming workshop, head to their website and click the red button at the bottom left that says "Sign Up For News". From there, you can select getting an e-mail or text message ahead of the workshop.