Laserfiche WebLink
CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> the repairs that they are not going to get on their apartments at all. What the owners are telling <br /> Code Enforcement is we aren't fixing anything because we're going to do a whole new remodel, <br /> but in the meantime, people are still living there, and as previously pointed out, the conditions are <br /> really horrible. We are working on getting some mold testing done right now. I've been out there <br /> myselfself and I've seen it. Like I said it's nothing less thancrisis.a <br /> Mr.Gatson stated, The other thing too with this is that when we talked with the tenants they were <br /> willing to be treated fairly. I looked at other apartments that are owned in Indiana and they look <br /> nothing like what Western Manor is. They have weight rooms, jacuzzi areas and they look like <br /> places that I would want to live in. The new owners of Western Manor have not been very <br /> transparent from the very beginning. They have not said here's model. A little transparency and <br /> communication would have gone a long way regarding rounding up all of the tenants and saying <br /> we will round up the tenants, show you our model, show you own plan and show you our other <br /> property. That would have been humane and just. These tenants did not get that type of <br /> conversation because the landlord refuses to meet with us. As a matter of a fact, all of the local <br /> new networks tried to contact the owners but can't get a hold of them. Our Councilmember himself <br /> tried to get to contact the owners but can't get a hold of them. I have reached out to the Mayor's <br /> Office as well as Senator Tim Young's Office,but I have not received any response as of yet from <br /> either office. So, I ask myself, If I am citizen, tax payer and a resident, what happens to me when <br /> the people who are supposed to serve me are not transparent or even there? Now, I thank God for <br /> the Council giving us a forum to have this conversation. I thank God for Councilmember Davis <br /> and for Judy Fox's tireless efforts,but we need help. We have lost fifteen(15)tenants that I know <br /> of(there could be more) out of one hundred two (102) units. Now, there are even more people <br /> talking about leaving because they're scared,uninformed and don't know what's going on. I have <br /> met with and spoken to the Director of Section Eight(8),Tanya Robinson.When I spoke with her, <br /> she stated that they would like to be at our next meeting. As for Section Eight(8), the rent will be <br /> covered under the previous contract,but that's not the real issue. Although you may be on Section <br /> Eight (8) you still have to put the utilities in your name and pay the deposit. So, who's going to <br /> pay all of this? Is Section Eight(8) going to pay it? Section Eight(8) can't put the utilities in their <br /> name so someone else must do it. Will there be a voucher program that is going to happen on a <br /> card or whatever to be able to subsidize the money for the utilities and housing for these tenants <br /> that are on Section Eight(8)? Who's going to do it? Are the former owners going to step back in? <br /> Who's going to do it? We need answers. <br /> Councilmember Oliver Davis asked, In terms of the current security deposit what are the <br /> challenges that you have getting them back? <br /> Ms. Fox replied, According to the apartment complex owners (and this is not legal) they have no <br /> records after July 1, 2019. So, what they are saying is that if you paid a previous deposit you will <br /> have to reapply, and you will get your old deposit back if you can prove that you made it. Well, I <br /> have one (1) little old lady who is eight five (85) years old. She's been living there for eighteen <br /> 18 years. Doyou think she has a receipt from eighteenyears ago? You also have to paya new <br /> ( ) p � g <br /> deposit if the new owners decide that you can stay. Frankly, I don't think that the new owners are <br /> going to let anyone stay. So,again,there are some legal challenges here.As I have been telling the <br /> tenants there might be a fair housing issue here and I get that, but they don't need a ten (10) year <br /> law suit. They need a place to live on September 1, 2019. So, I can do all of that, but we have to <br /> do something more urgent with all of these folks. A lot of these folks would have been eligible for <br /> Section Eight (8) but didn't need it because there were some subsidized units in this place, and <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 1574.235.9173 17-D574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 6 <br />