Disabled OKC Mother Says Landlord Will Not Repair Her Apartment

Tuesday, October 4th 2016, 5:10 pm

By: Aaron Brilbeck

Roshunda Anderson says she lives in dangerous and disgusting conditions at the Meridian Ridge Apartments. And while the apartment complex is willing to take her tax-subsidized rent check every month, they’re not willing to make repairs.

Anderson is at the end of her rope. At 28-years old, the single mom is disabled with MS. To add to her worries, she says her apartment regularly floods, dripping brown water through her falling ceiling and on to her carpets and furniture.

Anderson says this has happened dozens of times in the three years she has lived here. Now she has what appears to be mold growing on the ceiling and walls. Her daughter has a hard time breathing.

"She tries to go outside and stuff as much as she can so she doesn't smell mildew and the mold,” Anderson said. “And you can see it. And it's just bad. It's really bad."

Anderson says whenever the happens the complex turns off the water to the building, but doesn’t fix the pipes. She says she goes for days without washing dishes, showering or flushing the toilet.

"You have to use the toilet, you can't flush it. So I tell my daughter, you have to use the bathroom at the 7-11." Anderson said.

News 9 went to the management office but they would not talk about it. They promised to have someone from their corporate office call us, but it never happened.

Anderson says she’s used to broken promises from management and feels trapped like a prisoner in this.

"I barely get out of the house,” Anderson said. “I don't want to ask nobody to help me do nothing."

News 9 also reached out to the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. They oversee apartment complexes that accept tenants with subsidized rent. They plan to look into the conditions at Meridian Ridge.

Generally, if a property is inspected and does not meet certain standards, the property owner has 30-days to make improvements. If those improvements are not made, the property owner could be forced to move tenants or risk losing the ability to rent to those with Section 8 vouchers.