SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Some residents at a Southcrest apartment complex for low-income families and former homeless veterans claim that the landlord hasn't adequately fixed mold issues stemming from the January storms.
National CORE, the property owner providing the subsidized housing, said it is open to fixing any existing problems and has done numerous repairs.
The company said residents reported concerns in June but have "consistently refused to allow access to the residences, making it impossible to address repairs."
However, several residents told Team 10 their concerns are not being addressed.
One of those residents said mold remains in his lower-level apartment, causing his twin 13-year-old sons to be chronically ill.
"We have been having issues with mold since the flood in January," said former homeless veteran Michal Sanders. "My kids have been sick, my dog is throwing up. I have been taking them to the ER ... I'm watching my kids get sicker because they won't fix the mold in the building."
Sanders said he moved into Vista del Puente in 2019, and it was a lifeline.
The complex has 52 apartments, with half designated for homeless veterans like Sanders and another dozen for homeless families.
The rent is kept low to keep families off the streets.
Sanders said he pays just over $400 a month in subsidized rent but has not paid for a few months due to the mold issue.
He said National CORE put his family in a hotel for a month after the January floods, but when he came back to his apartment, the mold was present.
Sanders paid for a mold test and shared the results with Team 10, showing elevated levels of mold. National CORE then put him and his boys back in a hotel. When he returned this summer, the mold was still there.
When he came back this summer, the mold was still there.
William Diepenbrock, a National CORE spokesman, said the company is happy to fix problems at Vista del Puente and has made numerous repairs to homes at the complex, including the installation of brand new cabinets, flooring, and walls.
"We are proud of our 30-plus-year history of creating and managing communities of the highest quality, providing homes with dignity for those members of our community with the greatest need. We place the highest priority on the health and safety of our residents," the company said in a statement.
Diepenbrock said if there are still problems, tenants need to contact the on-site property manager. Sanders said he has done that and showed Team 10 an email where he contacted National CORE on July 30 to discuss mold in his unit.
"I just want my kids healthy, and I don't want to have to live in the park with my children because of mold or be evicted for asking for help," Sanders said. "I have no where to go. This is subsidized housing for homeless vets and families to get us off the street, and I can't afford to go anywhere else."
