Residents impacted by severe mold problem

[Guest guest]

Article published Thursday, December 18, 2008

Residents impacted by severe mold problem

300-plus families at Brand Whitlock at risk; some to evacuate

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20081218/NEWS16/812180301/-1/NEWS

Palmer says he has tried to wash the large patches of mold

from his living room and bedroom walls. Mr. Palmer said he is moving

out next week and says he's glad to do so. He's blamed the mold for

his frequent colds.

By KATE GIAMMARISE

BLADE STAFF WRITER

Toledo Blade - Toledo,OH,USA

Several residents - and possibly many more - will have to be moved

from their apartments at Brand Whitlock Homes because of problems

with excessive mold.

Throughout the public housing complex, " mold is pervasive " and " can

probably be found in more than half of the units, " according to a

study performed in November for the Lucas Metropolitan Housing

Authority by HazCorp Environmental Services.

It estimated at least half of the units - about 150 - have " mold

issues " and of those, at least 50 " are experiencing what could be

considered serious mold problems. " The study concludes " some of

these units are not presently fit for human occupancy, many of these

are currently vacant, however, some are still occupied. "

Home to more than 300 families, Brand Whitlock is Toledo's oldest

public housing complex; it opened in 1938.

A meeting is planned for 6 p.m. tonight at the Brand Whitlock

Community Room, 642 Division St., to advise residents about the

situation. The meeting is hosted by the Central Residents Council

and the county housing authority.

LMHA Executive Director Linnie Willis said at least two residents

have been moved and two others are in the process of moving.

" We do not want our residents living in those conditions, " Mrs.

Willis said yesterday at an agency board meeting.

She said the housing authority is trying to gauge the extent of the

problem and urged residents to come to tonight's meeting.

Aneel Chablani, director of advocacy for Advocates for Basic Legal

Equality, or ABLE, a law firm that represents low-income people,

said the housing authority has been too slow to address the problem.

" We don't feel like there's an urgency to address this, " Mr.

Chablani said.

The housing authority has known about the problem since at least

2005, when an earlier study was conducted about mold.

" We are very concerned about the health risks and the exposure that

has occurred to the residents over at least the last three years, "

Mr. Chablani said.

According to the 2008 study, mold can cause upper respiratory

problems including nasal congestion, sneezing, running or itchy

nose, exacerbating pre-existing asthma, wheezing, and coughing.

ABLE is calling for additional mold testing to be done throughout

the complex, and a relocation plan is to be put in place to help

residents who need to leave their homes.

The 2005 study said the problem was " a threat to the safety and

welfare of the occupants and the conditions should be corrected as

soon as possible. "

Mrs. Willis, who did not become the agency's executive director

until 2007, said she did not see a copy of the earlier study until

last year. She said she does not know why the problem was not dealt

with in 2005.

Because of the age of the buildings and other problems at Brand

Whitlock, the housing authority has been hoping to redevelop the

site, either with a massive renovation or just tearing down and

building new.

Mrs. Willis said this problem validates the authority's concern that

the buildings are functionally obsolete, and an investment should be

made in new buildings rather than paying to modernize the old ones.

Both studies said the construction of the buildings contributes to

mold growth. There is no insulating space between the exterior

masonry walls and the interior walls, and the temperature inside the

units changes rapidly. The buildings are heated with an antiquated

boiler system using steam heat, which tends to add moisture, meaning

the problem will be difficult to get rid of, the 2008 study stated.

Resident Palmer, who is moving out of his apartment next

week, said he continuously tried washing away the large patches of

mold in his living room and bedroom, but they kept returning. He

said he is happy to be moving out, and believes the mold might have

contributed to his catching frequent colds.

Because the buildings themselves are a factor, the mold could be a

very difficult problem to tackle, Mrs. Willis said. While she

emphasized the number of people impacted was still being determined,

she said " massive relocation " of tenants could be necessary.

" But then the question becomes, where are all these people going to

go? " she said.

The second study said the cost of getting rid of mold in 150 units

could " easily escalate into an expenditure of hundreds of thousands

of dollars. " The agency's budget is already stretched, but Mrs.

Willis said LMHA might be able to tap into an emergency reserve fund

of several million dollars.

Two of the residents being relocated had not even complained about

the mold at all, and the problem was only discovered because of a

random inspection, Mrs. Willis said.

That was the case for Eloise Warner. Ms. Warner, who is moving out

of her apartment at the end of the week, had lived there since 1994,

she said.

She had never complained about the mold near her doorway, which she

said she assumed was caused by some kind of leak, or the mold along

her kitchen window. She said she doesn't believe she suffered any

health problems as a result.

Mrs. Willis said she believes the authority needs to check every

single unit. She also urged residents to speak up.

" We need people to come to the meeting, " she said. " We need them to

talk to us and help us make some decisions. "

Contact Kate Giammarise at:

kgiammarise@...

or 419-724-6133.

Permanent Link

READER COMMENTS MILDEW..Now it's called mold..Bleach takes care it

dimwit. Because you don't pay rent or contribute anything else to

society, get out the rags and try cleaning your home! Amazing..those

black spots would disappear. But, that would be WORK..! Get a job,

buy some bleach and quit complaining!

-- Posted by J..B on Thu, Dec 18, 2008, 8:14 am EST [report

this comment]