During a joint meeting of Henderson Council members and members of the Henderson-Vance Human Relations Commission on Monday, the commission revealed that it was conducting an investigation into fair housing and OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) violations at Springwood Apartments.
Springwood Apartments was recently renamed after being bought by a firm intent on rehabilitating the property. The city has supported the project, allowing the firm to receive tax credit incentives.
According to Janice Jeffrys, the president of the commission, the manager of the property stated that rehabilitation was to begin on the property at an unspecified date in November.
Council member Elissa Yount said that if the city is supporting the project, then the city needs to “look into it”.
Henderson Mayor Clem Seifert asked why the city would want to stop the rehabilitation of the property.
Jerry Moss, the City Manager, said that he did not want to see the same thing occur at Springwood [that occurred at Beacon Light Apartments].
Jeffreys said that Springwood was “patching the jobs”, meaning that the repairs currently being made are very temporary in nature.
Glean Henderson, Jr., the publicity officer for the commission who recently challenged Mary Emma Evans for her council seat, asked what was holding the owners of Springwood Apartments back from doing the rehabilition of the property. He also noted for those present that many 911 calls had been placed on Friday and Saturday night.
Yount commented that the owners had paid the loan on the property and raised the rent.
Seifert asked why tenants did not call HUD if the units are Section 8 housing. Henderson responded that the Human Relations Commission does not advise clients to make such a call, but will call for them.
Yount requested that Moss get inspection reports for the property from HUD in Greensboro.
Seifert, clearly incensed, said, “It looks like we have owners making money and people living in crap.”
Henderson added that the property had been approved for new windows, but they have not been installed in the majority of apartment units.
Seifert stated a desire that the units be checked against the inspection reports.
Moss and members of the city council made tentative plans to tour Springwood Apartments at an unspecified time in the future.
There is still some controversy as to whether Section 8 inspections have been done appropriately in the past, as evidenced by the deterioration of Beacon Light Apartments and other Section 8 housing units in Henderson.