Residents at the 496-unit Maggie L. Walker Apartments pay rents that are up to 30 percent of their income and then a HUD subsidy covers the rest. In October, a rent increase proposed by Essex VA Investors went into effect but likely just means HUD is paying more of a subsidy on the property.

“There was an acknowledgement that work was being done on the property,” said Lisa Wolfe, a spokeswoman for HUD.

The work done on Maggie L. Walker Apartments came in the wake of heightened scrutiny of building conditions on the property. Problems at the apartments have included stairs in disrepair, mice, leaking water heaters, raw sewage bubbling up to the surface of manhole covers, and drains backing up in ground-level apartments. A pregnant woman had to go to the hospital after she fell from her second-floor balcony when the railing gave way.

Henrico officials took the previous owners to court over charges related to building violations. The charges were dismissed in light of improvements that had been made on the property.