Residents of Glorieta Gardens Apartments Endure Unlivable Conditions, Seeking Urgent Help from Officials
Frustrated and furious, numerous residents of Glorieta Gardens Apartments in Opa-locka attended a meeting with city officials to voice their concerns. For years, they have been living in unlivable conditions, including issues such as mold, raw sewage, and flooding. The Opa-locka Housing Task Force conducted an inspection of all 251 apartments and uncovered distressing discoveries.
According to Darvin Williams, Interim City Manager for Opa-locka, all 251 units were found to have mold, storm water drainage blockage, lighting that didn’t meet code standards, walls with holes due to rat infestation, and exploded water heaters. These appalling living conditions have taken a toll on the health of residents like Jasmine Wimes, who is seven months pregnant and has been living at Glorieta Gardens for thirty years.
Wimes revealed that her son suffers from chronic asthma and takes over 20 medications. He has developed lung and throat diseases, and recently broke out in rashes and bumps all over his body after taking a bath. This dire situation is not unique to Wimes and her family; hundreds of residents claim that the living conditions are slowly killing them.
Deidre Thomas, another resident, shared her experience of having to leave her home for weeks at a time just to avoid breathing in mold. She described finding mushrooms, the final stage of mold growth, growing from the rooftop in her kitchen. The situation has become so severe that some residents have resorted to defecating in plastic bags because their toilets are not functioning.
Apart from the atrocious living conditions, Glorieta Gardens also owes the City of Opa-locka nearly $600,000 in unpaid bills. However, the apartment complex is on private property and paid for by a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contract. As a result, city officials assert that HUD should take the first steps to address the situation since they have a contract and privity with the private developer.
City officials have made repeated attempts to contact the property managers for cooperation in resolving the multitude of problems, but they claim to have received little cooperation. Additionally, Opa-locka police believe that the living conditions are contributing to an increase in crime at the complex.
In response to the crisis, the City of Opa-locka is devising a plan to relocate the residents and is seeking assistance from HUD and the property managers. Efforts are being made to ensure that residents can escape these unlivable conditions and find safe and habitable homes.
As of now, Glorieta Gardens has not responded to the allegations made by the residents or the city officials. The hope is that swift action will be taken to address the urgent needs of the residents and rectify the deplorable living conditions they have long endured.
