I-TEAM: Sen. Rubio wants HUD to relocate Hilltop Village tenants in unhealthy apartments

3 years ago 391

Florida’s elder US legislator besides wants a reappraisal of information pursuing crimes astatine complex

Photo a nonmigratory provided to the I-TEAM showing mice successful a descend astatine a Hilltop Village apartment.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is present calling connected the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to not lone relocate tenants impacted by a terrible rodent infestation, electrical problems, overflowing garbage and different information and sanitary violations, but besides reappraisal information steps the absorption company, Cambridge Management Inc., is taking pursuing crimes committed astatine the complex.

In a missive sent Monday to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, Rubio details information and sanitary violations his ain unit saw for themselves pursuing the I-TEAM’s archetypal study April 29 – which sparked exigency inspections by HUD and metropolis of Jacksonville codification inspectors.

May 12: A Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspection resulted successful a people of 61c/100. (The “c” indicates perchance life-threatening conditions were witnessed during the inspection.) The 61 successful the people is considered passing (below 60 is failing). The REAC inspection recovered portion the structural integrity of Hilltop Village meets national standards, the deductions travel from wellness and information issues similar pest and rodent infestations, chronic mold and disrepair of the units. Four units were declared uninhabitable and ownership and absorption were subjected to much than $160,000 successful civilian fines. Rubio adds that the passing people astatine Hilltop Village brings into question whether the existent scoring methodology really ensures tenants are provided a harmless and sanitary spot to unrecorded and wants HUD to betterment its rules truthful inspections relationship for each aspects of living. He besides wants HUD to measure its responsiveness erstwhile deficiencies are noted by section codification enforcement.

In his letter, Rubio besides lists caller thefts and acts of unit astatine the analyzable – including the July 20 shooting that near 3 radical injured.

The missive says successful part:

“Families who unrecorded successful HUD-assisted properties merit protection, and I petition that the Department reappraisal actions by Cambridge Management, Inc. connected precautionary information efforts to support residents harmless from convulsive crime. It is unacceptable that residents astatine Hilltop Village Apartments proceed to unrecorded nether unsafe and unsanitary conditions, including the terrible rodent infestation and ongoing convulsive crime. As such, I further petition that straight affected tenants beryllium safely relocated, that a follow-up REAC inspection instrumentality spot to guarantee that the rodent infestation has been wholly resolved, and that inhabited units are decent, harmless and sanitary.”

FULL DOCUMENT: Sen. Marco Rubio’s missive to HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge

In June, Jacksonville City Council authorized spending $140,000 to assistance tenants determination retired of Hilltop Village Apartments, but Rubio’s petition would marque this a national responsibility.

This is not Sen. Rubio’s archetypal missive to HUD regarding Hilltop Village Apartments. The May 12 REAC inspection came aft he requested connected May 4 that HUD instrumentality action.

On June 28, Rubio again wrote HUD, this clip requesting further scrutiny of each properties successful Florida managed by Cambridge Management, Inc. -- specifically pointing retired that 7 different properties managed by the institution person failing REAC sores.

At the extremity of past month, Rubio introduced a measure -- co-sponsored by Florida Sen. Rick Scott -- to betterment HUD’s inspection process and clasp landlords accountable.

That measure would:

Require HUD to people a study each twelvemonth for each properties scoring little than a 65 retired of 100
Put into instrumentality a timeline for erstwhile properties indispensable beryllium inspected basal connected their scores
Strengthen HUD’s quality to enforce wellness and information standards