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CITY OF SOUTH,BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> people for three (3) weeks. It's kept me up at night. I don't know if the City can put any pressure <br /> on them to slow down and let us try to work with some of these folks. The second problem that <br /> we're having is with quite frankly is with the Housing Authority because a lot of these folks if <br /> they're on section eight (8) they need to get their section eight (8) updated with the new rental <br /> amounts and as is a typical story they are not answering the phones. In fact, their message says <br /> don't call us email us,but our clients don't have that ability and so that's a secondary problem that <br /> we've got. We're doing what we can to soften the blow, but I think the blow is coming for an <br /> awful lot of families.We're helping the Tenants Association incorporate,but we need quite frankly <br /> some more pressure on this owner to be human. <br /> Mr. Rodney Gatson stated,The problem is that you have people that live there. I've been there and <br /> Channel sixteen (16) News was there with me, and we're looking over the housing division (I've <br /> been in ten (10) different units), and they have everything from lead paint to plumbing problems. <br /> They say that Code Enforcement has been out there. They haven't had any feedback from Code <br /> Enforcement to enforce these issues that are prevalent that were shown to them and so that's one <br /> problem. The second problem is there are no updates, fixing anything or maintenance, and the <br /> maintenance has been very slow. There has even been a pipe burst from the top level of the <br /> apartment all the way to the bottom. We were there to see it and that got news coverage with the <br /> problems happening with the plumbing problems, happening with mold, happening with lead- <br /> based paint. These are inhumane living conditions. Now, what we're trying to do is we have been <br /> organizing. Like the Councilmember said, we have been having meetings, organized meetings to <br /> organize ourselves as an association, to come on out there and say hey look we need community <br /> leaders and etcetera to actually be servants that you were called to be. To come out and actually <br /> see our problem, meet with us and come up with solutions. Time is not on there side. Saturday, I <br /> watched fifteen (15) cars leave the residence. They were on the news. Now, with that being said, <br /> I'm looking at others trying to fight. For the seniors that are there it's horrific.There's no handicap <br /> access anywhere to be found. <br /> Mr. Gatson continued with stating, So, I say to myself, we're not accommodating to single <br /> families, we're not accommodating to seniors, we're not accommodating to handicap people. I'm <br /> not going to even put race in there because that's going to be a whole new can of worms. We can't <br /> be human enough to have good living conditions? That's not right and it definitely isn't fair to <br /> raise rent and to raise utilities. So, I've been canvasing asking the community to come out to the <br /> Thursday meeting that we have. We have two (2) meetings. In one meeting we're trying to meet <br /> with Real Services as Judy Fox mentioned at 1:30 p.m. in order to get the information out there so <br /> the tenants can at least get help with the utilities.There's money there,but they also have to qualify <br /> and there is a list of qualifications that the tenants will have to meet. We will have a Thursday <br /> meeting and I have included the Police Department and I know that our Councilmember has been <br /> there from the very beginning of the struggle, but we need more of you to show up as well. You <br /> need to see this hand for yourself. If you see it I believe that you will become more passionate in <br /> getting help for these people. <br /> Ms. Fox replied, I did meet with Code Enforcement on this, and one of the issues with Code <br /> Enforcement is that the apartment complexes position is, even though they are increasing <br /> everyone's rent they are not letting the current tenant live in the units that will be updated and <br /> repaired. So, in other words we're increasing your rent, but we refuse to fix anything in your <br /> apartment. They will be starting with one building at a time and will be repairing them, but they <br /> are not allowing the current tenants to move back into those. So,the current tenants are paying for <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend.Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 vwaw.southbendin.gov <br /> 5 <br />