25-year-old Dehlila McDonald is 8 months pregnant and living in a building that is riddled with mold at the Northern Village apartment complex in north St. Louis County.
She's lived at the property for 5½ years and was recently transferred to the mold-infested unit after struggling with flooding issues in her previous one. McDonald shared a doctor's note that instructed the property managers to "treat and remove the mold immediately" because it impacts McDonald's health. The note states she has experienced shortness of breath, coughing and recurring ear infections while living there.
McDonald said her doctor advised her to keep the windows open to air the place out, in the meantime.
Despite sending the doctor's note to property managers, McDonald said nothing has been done to address the conditions. She currently pays $1,100 a month in rent and anticipates she'll be induced for labor in three weeks.
"I've been dealing with this place for so long because I can't afford to move," McDonald said. "I don't have help. I have two children I take care of alone, plus this one (and) no car. I don't want to be moving around hotel to hotel with my kids."
She said she's reported the mold, plumbing problems and ceiling damage through work orders, but they have not been properly addressed.
"Two months later, after they marked it down as complete, (and at) 3 o'clock in the morning, the ceiling's falling down on my 4-year-old and my 6-year-old," McDonald said. "But my 4-year-old is the only one who got injured, and I had to rush him to the hospital. He got scars on his chest and his arms and stuff, and they knew about all these problems."
The issues at Northern Village are not new.
In the last 2½ years, county inspectors have visited the property more than 260 times, according to county officials. They recorded reports of residents without heat and water, and having to endure moldy conditions and a failing sewer system.
Northern Village Apartments — owned by Mazal in St. Louis LLC and operated by TGBG management — has until Oct. 19 to pay its outstanding gas bill of more than $700,000 to natural gas company Spire, or the gas will be shut off. Mendel Fischer, based in Florida, is listed as the owner of the property. The rent arrangement entails that property owners are responsible for covering gas for heating at the property and other utilities are included in residents' rent.
Fischer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said county officials have had many conversations with property leaders, but he said the owner failed to attend a meeting with Spire on Monday. In a letter to the St. Louis County Council dated Oct. 2, Page requested that $450,000 be moved from the unappropriated balance of the general revenue fund to the Department of Human Services for "emergency funding" to help residents in the event that the property owner fails to keep the building from being condemned in two weeks.
Page said around 150 residents are at risk of being kicked out of the building if the problems aren't addressed. Kevin McKenna, acting director of the county Department of Human Services, said the emergency funding would be used to help families find other housing.
"These are usually expenses that aren't traditionally available to residents like this," McKenna said. "So that's what we're going to hopefully prioritize with the local emergency funding, and of course, work with the tenants in any way that we can to make sure that they're going out and seeking affordable and reliable alternatives in the community."
The property also owes more than $780,000 in county property taxes, Page said.
"When routine maintenance issues aren't addressed, when utilities aren't paid, that falls back on the families who are living here," he said.
County funding not likely
Some county council members during a meeting Tuesday evening said providing the emergency funds would not be the wisest move due to budget constraints and the risk of going down a "slippery slope."
Council Chairwoman Rita Heard Days noted that proper inspections have not been held at Northern Village the last few years, leaving the building with several code violations for mold and sewer problems, and little accountability for owners. She said if emergency funds are provided in this situation, others will expect similar action. Instead of using county funds, there are other options for helping residents, like tapping local nonprofits, Days said.
"I understand the plight of the citizens that are living there," Days said. "I will tell you this is not the only apartment complex that is having these challenges."
Budget Committee Chairwoman Shalonda Webb said it's horrible that negligent landlords have been allowed to evade responsibility for more than two years, but she questioned if that means the county should be responsible for making residents whole.
"I believe if we open up this door, we are going to open up Pandora's box, because what we're basically saying is, we want to help our residents, but we're going to take county funds to assist personal situations?"
Webb noted that the council has been addressing its budget woes and said she'd like more information on the situation. Councilwoman Gretchen Bangert of the 2nd District agreed with Webb, stating that providing the funds in this situation could lead them down a slippery slope.
Councilman Mark Harder of District 7 said it will be better to use the county prosecuting attorney's office to identify negligent landlords and force them to make residents whole through legal proceedings.
"(Residents have) paid into it with their utility bills, with their rent, and they shouldn't have to live in these conditions when they've done all the right things themselves," Harder said. "We can be better, effective as a government to bring (landlords) to the table and get justice for these people."
Council Budget Policy Coordinator Chris Grahn-Howard said that although the county has never provided emergency funding in such a situation, it might be worth checking with the county counselor's office to see if the money could be recovered through lawsuits, should the county choose to approve it.
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