JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local pastor has written to the owner of the troubled Eureka Gardens apartment complex, addressing some of the latest concerns voiced by tenants.
Some tenants were given eviction warnings last week, over the housekeeping conditions at their apartments.
Last October, residents were given letters warning that they had 10 days to get their apartments in shape to pass inspection or they could face eviction.
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After meeting with Mayor Lenny Curry, the complex owner, the Rev. Richard Hamlet with Global Ministries Foundation, put a 30-day moratorium on those eviction notices.
On Friday, News4Jax saw apartment employees passing out those 10-day notices again, which said that the tenants had failed to comply with their leases.
Pastor Mark Griffin's Wayman Ministries church is across the street from Eureka Gardens, so he has gotten involved in helping the residents there.
Monday morning, he emailed Hamlet on behalf of the tenants association, asking specific questions about the eviction warnings.
He wanted to know what specific matters the notices referred to, and he said that the residents believe that some of the matters, like old cabinets, worn baseboards and worn tile, are actually the responsibility of the owner and management.
The notices said a recent inspection by the Department of Housing and Urban Development showed the apartments weren't clean enough, and if they weren't improved in 10 days, the tenant's lease could be terminated.
Griffin wants to know the date of the HUD inspection.
He asked why, if the notice refers to an inspection conducted in October, the staff wait until now to send notices to tenants?
Griffin also said the residents haven't heard from management regarding the health and safety concerns identified by city and HUD inspections and asked for a detailed report of mold testing, which they understand has been completed.
Hamlet responded to Griffin in an email, saying the management company would address the specific concerns about the conditions.
He told Griffin that the company's procedures are not intended to cause problems, but are just the staff's attempt to manage the community according to HUD standards.
Hamlet's email said the site team is preparing for a HUD physical inspection and conducting a survey of the entire property.
Hamlet also said communication improvement is needed between management and residents and that he is open to any suggestions.
The News4Jax Investigative Team first exposed the squalor at the federally subsidized Eureka Gardens complex in September. City Code Enforcement stepped in with a raid in October, writing more than 100 citations for code violations.
Nearly 30 of the code violations had not been fixed as of a week ago, but a lawyer for GMF bought the company 60 days to make the final changes during a meeting last week with a magistrate.
Despite the deplorable conditions, including mold, crumbling stairways and gas leaks, the complex passed a HUD inspection last year, but that score was later voided by HUD in a rare move. HUD and the city have since re-inspected the complex several times.
There have recently been reports of lead contamination at the complex that has affected some children.
News4Jax has not yet heard if the management company has responded directly to Griffin's latest concerns about conditions at Eureka Gardens.