Diahann Chatman says staying warm inside her apartment has been a constant challenge.
She lives at Huron Heights, Huron Ridge apartments. It’s an affordable housing complex in Ypsilanti Township that accepts her specialized veteran housing voucher.
But the past year, she said, has been more of a set-back than a benefit. She showed 7 Action News where she had to put plastic tarp and tape around the window just to seal out some of the air.
In addition to losing heat, she told 7 Action News the furnace wasn't working properly.
Gas bills, she showed us, have more than doubled over the past few months, now at nearly $200.
On exceptionally cold nights, she said she has to stay in a shelter, meanwhile the warmest room in the house is also the one, she said, was filled with mold.
She showed us where it was growing sprouts, a growth that she said had caused quite a problem for her asthma. Since moving in, she said she had experienced weakness, a hard time breathing and has been on antibiotics because after picking up infections.
Chatman said she believes the roofs are allowing the moisture to get into the units, causing the mold.
Outside on the roofs, 7 Action News took note of the blue tarp that has been up for several months.
Another resident, who didn’t want to be shown on camera, gave 7 Action News video showing a major leak that has gone un-fixed.
But Chatman said each time she brought her concerns to management, she was ignored.
7 Action News got on the case. Unable to find anyone in person, they made calls on the phone. But messages out to Van Rooy Companies, which oversees the properties, were never returned.
7 Action News has learned that Ypsilanti Township has issued a violation against the building for the condition of Chatman's apartment. The city has also issued a violation against the property company over the roofs for not having a valid permit.
The city will come in for a re-inspection in 30 days.
