The frustration continues as multiple residents in Cuyahoga County's public housing system say they feel neglected and overlooked by the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. News 5 has been following these stories for the past year and now there’s yet another situation.
“It’s like a big slap in the face,” said Nkechi Ani, a CMHA resident who said she’s been feeling overlooked after her apartment at the Union Square Apartments on East 98th Street has flooded three separate times.
“I’m emotionally exhausted,” she said.
And she claims CMHA has yet to remove the now molded carpet from her place and the odor is taking over.
“It’s overwhelming,” she said. “It’s too much for anybody, no one should have to endure this.”
Ani has asthma already and the mold in her bedroom she said is complicating it.
“It was so overwhelming every time I’d go in there, my face would start swelling and itching,” said Ani.
After the first flood, CMHA patched up the walls, but those didn’t last and the mold continued to build.
It even got so bad, she had to start using the restroom in her kitchen with a portable toilet.
“It’s been surreal,” she said.
Making matters worse, she’s wheelchair-bound, so packing up and leaving she says is a challenge.
“It’s not; it’s not that easy for me,” she said.
A month ago, she took matters into her own hands, pulling up this carpet on her own.
“I just went in there and like just started piece by piece started pulling it back,” said Ani.
At this point, she says she wants out altogether.
“I do appreciate having housing, but it’s not even worth it for free to have my health affected,” Ani said.
We reached out to CMHA several times to see how they plan on handling Nkechi Ani’s multiple requests for carpet removal and a complete removal from her apartment. We have yet to hear back from them.
