Emergency Housing Commission condemns unit at 1506 Carwell Lane after inspectors find sewage, structural and electrical hazards

The Emergency Housing Commission voted unanimously Feb. 5 to condemn unit 1509C at the 1506 Carwell Lane rental complex after city code inspectors found raw sewage beneath one building and multiple life-safety and habitability problems affecting dozens of units.

Code enforcement officer Tori told commissioners inspectors smelled raw sewage in a crawl space and found plumbing penetration pipes not tied to the sewer system, which left human feces under the building. "That's probably the nastiest unit I've ever been in in my entire time working here," Tori said. She described missing smoke detectors, wiring hanging without protection, holes in floors, appliances that discharged electricity and units with no or unreliable water.

The commission's action followed a staff recommendation that 1509C be condemned for human habitation. Vice Chairperson Ezell made the motion to condemn 1509C; Commissioner Souder seconded. The vote was recorded as yes from Vice Chairperson Ezell, Commissioner Souder, Commissioner Thompson and Chairperson Davis; the motion carried.

Why this matters: the complex contains multiple buildings and 26 rented units, and code staff said one quadplex (four units) is directly affected by…