I am a resident of a county funded housing program. I have been living in Franklin park apartments (location of program) since november ’10. Since moving in we have made numerous requests for apartment maintenance. The issue finally became unbearable when about four months ago, we noticed the bathroom ceiling leaking(around the ventilation fan).
After numerous calls to both the maintenance workers of the program and complex, they came and went to fix the leak in the upstairs apartment. At this time I explained to the workers that not only was the ceiling cracking but it was buckling in the middle and that everyday it seems like new mold is popping up along the cracks. However it must not have been important enough cuz nothing was down.
Now I have 4 small kids that have all fallen ill from continuous breathing in of mold spores(dr. Confirmed). This is frustrating because I don’t know what to do or who to contact. I have been given the run around time and time again. These people and their lack of concern are putting my babies (the oldest is 4, the youngest is 6mos.) at risk for serious long lasting breathing issues, and I’m mad.
Questions:
What can I do, we’ve tried high concentrated bleach solutions but to no avail?
5 comments
Dear Lakeisha, The only thing that you should do is LEAVE with your four children and DO NOT take anything with you. Stop at a WalMart (or store of your choice) and pick up some new clothes and dispose of the ones that you all are wearing. Mold spores travel right along with you and you could very easily contaminate your new residence. This could be a life threatening situation and the health and well being of you and your family could be determined by whether or not you stay or leave. You can replace your belongings but you cannot bring back a life. The doctor is correct. Mold illness is NOTHING to take lightly and can alter one’s life indefinately. The sooner you get out the better. Mold testing is conclusive when done by a specialist; however it is costly and may not be enough to get the ball rolling on your family’s behalf. Since the property is ‘county’ funded, there may not be the necessary attention given to the property to have it condemned due to the presence of pathogenic materials such as the 5% of molds that are carcinogens. Some individuals just blow mold off and don’t realize or will not realize the severity of the issue at hand. We see this all the time in our business and it’s unfortunate but oh so prevalent.
Also Lakeisha,
Bleach and other chemicals provide mold a food source and when the two are mixed, endotoxins are created and cause the problem to become far worst. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of leaving this home for good!!!
@chrissy… Thanks thats what im gonna do. Because the complex thought they were being funny and just put caulking over the mold in the tub and plaster over what was in the ceiling. It’s ridiculous how insufficient these people are. After talking to numerous residents it is clear that there is a severe mold infestation in this complex.
Lakeisha,
I am hoping you are out of the apartment by now…and living someplace safe. Does your doctor know how to treat you and your children? He knew they were sick from mold, which is good. :) Many don’t…Bleach is not good to use, it only bleaches mold temporarily. When combined with mycotoxins, bleach can make a bad situation even worse, resulting in even more harmful VOC’s.Never use bleach to clean molds…
Dear Lakeisha, We are located up in Baltimore MD and we can offer you technology that will kill any and all mold spores both in the air and on the surfaces. We have portable units that you can place anywhere that will cover up to 2,000 square feet. These units supply treated air that supplys ever room and area that air can go. Pleae contact us ASAP and we will be glad to help you out! Best Regards, Robert