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Commissioner raises alarm over water shutoffs and living conditions at several assisted-living and low-income properties
Summary
A commissioner detailed repeated water shutoffs, open sewage and severe disrepair at multiple assisted-living and low-income apartment complexes, urged the county to investigate owners' ties to county business and to involve health and legal authorities, and said residents were being harmed.
A commissioner described a countywide problem of water shutoffs at assisted-living and low-income properties, saying multiple facilities owned by the same investment group lost water service and residents lacked basic services, in some cases for extended periods.
The commissioner named specific properties and issues: Bankhead Towers, Pearson Manor and a complex near Rittenwood Field (reported as "Wind" in the transcript), and said water was cut off when owners did not pay the bills. The commissioner said residents included elderly people who required wound care and that at least one complex had issues described as open sewage seeping into units. The commissioner said owners continued to receive HUD-subsidized rent payments and urged federal and state involvement, saying the situation was "unconscionable." The commissioner said they would consider filing suit if necessary.
County staff said the commission could examine the owners' county business ties and coordinate with other regulatory bodies; staff suggested contacting the health department and indicated the attorney general's office may have units to pursue fraud or related enforcement. The commission directed staff to follow up and said they would call the health department and investigate options for assistance and enforcement.
Why it matters: The commissioner reported immediate public-health and safety concerns affecting elderly residents and called for county coordination with HUD, the health department and state law-enforcement or consumer-protection units.
The transcript records no formal motion or vote on enforcement steps; commissioners directed staff to follow up.
