PHOENIX — Carol Moore has a heart monitor stuck to her chest. She says she got sick after a January rainstorm flooded her apartment.
"So much water in my ceiling they had to poke a hole to drain the water," Moore said. She was given no blowers and no fans.
She said maintenance at Grandfamilies Place Phoenix, located near 16th Street and Roeser Road, dropped the ball when it came to clean up, so Moore had a mold test done to confirm the results.
"And as a result of the rain between the walls, it set up mold and mildew and I started to get sick," she said.
She said the complex tried to simply paint over the problem instead of going in and actually removing the mold.
"I would like for them to come and fix the problem," Moor said. "They offered to put me downstairs in apartment 110 which is smaller than my apartment."
Moving, she says, would force her to pay for additional storage to hold all of her belongings.
Community advocate Dana Burns kept hearing story after bad story coming from the residents at Grandfamilies Place.
"Some say they haven't had maintenance on site. I've heard talks about urine and feces in their elevators. It's just been a pretty bad situation for the seniors," Burns said.
Her initial attempts to reach management, she says, fell on deaf ears.
"Seniors have tried to reach out, I've tried to reach out, to no avail, so we decided to protest," Burns said.
For two weekends, Burns organized protests outside the complex, finally catching the attention of management.
"Some of those who've had issues in the apartment, slowly but surely they're getting to them," Burns said.
After weeks of protests and public attention, Burns says management at Grandfamilies Place has finally hired a contractor to remove the mold from Moore's apartment. But she says many residents are still being ignored.
"Listen to the voices of those who are paying to live here, they have more right than anybody!"
A spokesperson for Grand Families Place sent in a response to this story and the residents' complaints:
“We understand these extraordinary times are challenging for everyone. Our top priority right now is working with each of our residents to answer questions and address any and all concerns. MEB Management has been working with residents at Grand Families Place to address their concerns since they were first brought to our attention. We are committed to ensuring that each of our communities meet the expectations of its residents. Should residents need guidance, the MEB team is available to help on a case-by-case basis and provide resources during these unprecedented times.”
