Downtown tenants tell council of persistent mold, pests and elevator outages at HUD-funded building near City Hall
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Summary
A downtown resident described alleged long-running housing code violations at a building across from City Hall, including mold, leaking ceilings, pest infestations and elevator failures affecting residents on HUD assistance; she said inspections and management turnover have not resolved issues.
A Downtown Cincinnati resident who said she has lived for 10 years in a building directly across from City Hall described ongoing habitability problems she said affect multiple tenants, including mold, ceiling collapses, persistent pests, standing water and repeated elevator outages.
"It's truly heartbreaking that the deteriorating conditions of this building are not being seen," the resident, Jennifer McNay, said during Citizens Forum. She said many residents in the building receive HUD assistance, and she questioned why publicly funded housing is not maintained to safe standards.
McNay said she had to obtain legal counsel because complaints filed through the city's 311 system and repeated inspections did not lead to durable fixes. She described fear of retaliation by her landlord for complaining and cited intermittent management changes that left promises unfulfilled.
Council staff responded at the meeting by asking the speaker to share contact information with a city staff member (Chaka) so the administration could follow up. The remarks were made during public comment; council did not take a formal vote or direct staff to a specific enforcement action in the recorded minutes.
Ending: McNay requested the city intervene to ensure the property is repaired and maintained; council staff asked for her contact details so they could follow up after the meeting.