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Public commenter alleges mold, housing neglect and family harms tied to Housing Authority; council does not take immediate action
Summary
During public comment, Natalia Newkirk alleged longstanding mold, bedbug infestations and other harms in Housing Authority properties and requested justice; no council action was taken at the meeting, though staff and council heard the complaint.
During the public-comment period on Aug. 18, resident Natalia Newkirk addressed the Goldsboro City Council with multiple allegations about conditions in housing authority units and harms to residents.
Newkirk named multiple residents and recounted prior outreach to staff and council beginning in January 2023 for issues she said included black mold, bedbugs and other unsanitary conditions. She said one resident who previously had a kidney transplant required further surgery after mold was discovered in an apartment on Carver Drive. Newkirk described the harms in emotional terms and called the conditions "negligence homicide," and asked the council for "justice."
Council and staff did not take immediate action on the citizen comments during the meeting. The record shows the comments were heard as part of the public-comment agenda; city staff and council members did not announce specific next steps during the session. The transcript records that the deputy clerk and mayor cautioned the speaker on decorum when verbal interruptions occurred.
The council's public-comment process provides a forum for residents to raise concerns; when complaints reference public housing or other government services, standard follow-up is typically handled by the relevant department or through a staff-request or case-tracking system. Newkirk told the council she had evidence to support her allegations but did not present documentation during the meeting.
