Residents of W.C. Ervin Towers have complained to the Augusta Commission about subpar conditions at the low-income housing unit: however, there appears to be little that commissioners can do about the problems.
The city owns the property, but apparently has no jurisdiction over it.
According to resident Joseph Williams, the plumbing in the building has frequent problems, and leaks have gotten so severe that the sheetrock in many of the units has become waterlogged causing warping and even collapse.
“Every time the lady who lives upstairs takes a shower, the water comes into my apartment,” Williams said.
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Williams says the hallways are dark because lightbulbs are not changed when they burn out, and the elevators are constantly breaking down.
Built in 1967, the tower complex, at 1365 Laney Walker Blvd., primarily houses low-income senior citizens.
The building has an emergency pull-call system for the seniors, but Williams, 74, says the pull-call system is unreliable at best.
“You go talk to the rent lady, the manager and tell her that the pull-call doesn’t work and she says ‘don’t none of them work,’” Williams said.
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Williams says that he and other residents went to several meetings of the Augusta Public Housing Authority, which runs the property, but were told they were not allowed to speak at the meetings.
Commissioners on the Public Services Committee asked Planning and Development Interim Director, Carla Delaney, when the complex was last inspected, and her response was that it has never been inspected by her department.
According to Delaney, Planning and Zoning has no jurisdiction over any property managed and maintained by the Augusta Public Housing Authority.
“This is public housing, so the city’s code enforcement is not authorized to conduct any inspections; we don’t have the authority to come in and regulate their building,” Delaney said.
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According to the Augusta Housing Authority website, the authority does employ an inspector to guarantee livable conditions, but it appears the only way to file a complaint is online which may be an obstacle for many seniors living on a fixed income.
Housing authority board members are not elected, rather all of the five seats are appointed by the mayor.
Because the inspectors answer to the board and the board answers to the mayor, the Augusta Commission may not have much leverage to help the residents with their living arrangements.The Public Services Committee voted to revisit the matter at their next meeting and request that members of the Housing Authority attend, but all they can do is ask, the members cannot be compelled to attend.
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The city also cannot levy any fines since, technically speaking, the city would be fining itself.
District 3 Commission.Catherine McKnight says it is “crazy” that taxpayers fund the operations of complexes such as Ervin Towers, but that city employees are not allowed to inspect the properties to make sure they are safe.
“Something needs to change. The Authority can’t just be an island out there by itself. There has to be accountability. Nobody deserves to be living in these conditions,” McKnight said.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
