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Tenants at Ashlyn Park Apartments Report Weeks of Broken AC Amid Extreme Heat

Tenants at Ashlyn Park Apartments Report Weeks of Broken AC Amid Extreme Heat

Residents of Ashlyn Park Apartments in McColl, Marlboro County, are experiencing dangerously hot conditions due to persistent air conditioning outages. Several tenants have reported that their AC units have been non-functional for weeks, with indoor temperatures reaching as high as 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Tasia Lloyd stated she often leaves her apartment during the day to escape the heat, as fans only circulate hot air. Justin Grooms, a father of two, expressed frustration over his AC being out for approximately a month. Another tenant, who wished to remain anonymous, highlighted the particular difficulty for her three disabled children, forcing her to purchase two additional AC units. Tenants have submitted multiple work orders for repairs, but the issues remain unresolved. Additionally, some residents, like Carol Goins, have raised concerns about potential black mold on ceilings and walls, which Goins believes has impacted her breathing, requiring her to use four inhalers. ABC 15 reached out to the compan...

Middletown Tenants Demand Repairs from Alpha Capital Amid Unsafe Living Conditions

Middletown Tenants Demand Repairs from Alpha Capital Amid Unsafe Living Conditions

Tenants at an apartment building in Middletown, Connecticut, are demanding urgent repairs from their landlord, Alpha Capital, citing ongoing maintenance, health, and safety issues. Residents gathered to voice concerns about conditions including an elevator that has been out of service for months, significantly impacting residents with disabilities. Other reported problems include non-functional doorbell and intercom systems, a collapsed section of the roof, persistent leaks, and suspected mold. Residents, including Michele Foye and Victoria Kennedy, expressed frustration and fear, with Kennedy stating she feels like a 'hostage' in her home due to the elevator outage. Alpha Capital, which owns other properties in Connecticut facing similar complaints, has reportedly refused to engage with unionized tenants or elected officials regarding these issues.

San Diego County Approves Affordable Housing and Health Facility in Logan Heights

San Diego County Approves Affordable Housing and Health Facility in Logan Heights

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved the construction of 121 affordable homes and a new health care facility on surplus County property in Logan Heights. This development marks the first time the County's surplus-land housing program includes the replacement of an aging health clinic on the site. The new homes will be reserved for individuals and families earning up to 60% of the area median income, including seniors, those at risk of homelessness, veterans, and former foster youth. San Ysidro Health will operate a 23,800-square-foot health care facility, which will meet LEED Silver green building standards, while BRIDGE Housing Corporation will develop the affordable housing. The County conducted extensive community engagement, with residents emphasizing the importance of maintaining uninterrupted access to healthcare on the site, leading to a request for proposals that mandated a modern Federally Qualified Health Center alongside the housing.

Richmond's East End Sees First Modular Apartment Building Construction

Richmond's East End Sees First Modular Apartment Building Construction

Richmond's East End is witnessing the construction of its first modularly built apartment building, a nine-unit structure taking shape at Mosby and O streets. Over three days earlier this month, crews from Pittsburgh-based Module, in collaboration with local nonprofits Project:Homes and Urban Hope, used a crane to assemble 18 pre-fabricated 'boxes' or modules. These modules, built in Module's production facility, were delivered to Richmond and then pieced together to form the three-story building. Project:Homes, which has been advocating for more modular construction in Richmond, considers this a pioneering effort for the city. The project, estimated at nearly $2 million, received a $500,000 innovation grant from Virginia Housing. Urban Hope will own and manage the apartments, targeting rents for households earning below 50% of the area median income, and will also make units available to public housing voucher holders.

Detroit Opens 17 Affordable Apartments in Revitalized Gratiot Woods Building

Detroit Opens 17 Affordable Apartments in Revitalized Gratiot Woods Building

The city of Detroit, in collaboration with development partners, has celebrated the grand opening of Rohns Apartments, a historic building in the Gratiot Woods neighborhood that has been transformed into 17 new affordable homes. Located at 4735 Rohns St., the redevelopment by WIZE Detroit includes 15 two-bedroom and two one-bedroom apartments. These units are equipped with modern amenities such as stainless steel appliances, all-in-one washers and dryers, and central air conditioning. Residents will also have access to green space and secure parking. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment starts at $900 per month, while two-bedroom apartments start at $1,100. This project is part of Detroit's broader initiative to expand affordable housing through its Payment instead of Taxes (PILOT) program. Sophie Zembra, owner and managing director of WIZE Detroit, moved to Detroit in 2024 to focus on renovating historic buildings, drawn by the city's history and community resilience. WIZE Detroit is also utilizing the PILOT ...

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Scott’s Rochester Photo burglarized; camera equipment stolen

Scott’s Rochester Photo burglarized; camera equipment stolen

Police said at least one suspect broke a window to enter the East Avenue business early Friday and stole camera equipment.

Middletown Tenants Demand Repairs Amid Unsafe Living Conditions and Elevator Outage

Middletown Tenants Demand Repairs Amid Unsafe Living Conditions and Elevator Outage

Residents of an apartment building in Middletown are actively pushing for urgent repairs and addressing what they describe as persistent maintenance, health, and safety issues. A primary concern is an elevator that has reportedly been out of service for several months, significantly impacting residents with disabilities. Victoria Kennedy, a tenant, stated that the elevator outage has made her feel like a 'hostage' in her own home, forcing her to crawl down stairs. Beyond the elevator, tenants report non-functional doorbell and intercom systems, a collapsed roof section, ongoing leaks, and suspected mold growth within the building. Michele Foye, another resident, expressed terror for the well-being of all residents. The building is owned by Alpha Capital, a company that has reportedly faced similar complaints from tenants at other properties it manages in Connecticut. Residents claim that Alpha Capital's owner has refused to engage with unionized tenants and elected officials regarding these concerns.

Landmarks Preservation Commission Approves Revised Noho Apartment Project with Affordable Units

Landmarks Preservation Commission Approves Revised Noho Apartment Project with Affordable Units

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved a revised design for a new apartment complex in Noho, New York City, which will transform a corner parking lot at 375 Lafayette Street into two high-rise rental buildings. Developed by Minskoff Equities and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the project will include over 200 apartments, with 55 to 65 units designated as affordable housing under the city's 485-x and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing programs. The approval follows an earlier rejection and subsequent revisions that addressed concerns from the commission and community board regarding the project's scale, facade exposures, and overall fit within the historic neighborhood. The updated design splits the structure into two distinct buildings with varied color palettes and facade expressions, eliminating the previously criticized stepped streetwall massing and simplifying the bulk to better integrate with the surrounding historic district.

Bloomington's Sue's Landing Supportive Housing Project Aims for October Groundbreaking After Site Change

Bloomington's Sue's Landing Supportive Housing Project Aims for October Groundbreaking After Site Change

The Center for Human Services (CHS) in Bloomington is moving forward with its supportive housing development, Sue's Landing, targeting an October groundbreaking. This project is designed to provide housing for individuals with severe mental illnesses, offering support with psychiatric appointments, medication management, and budgeting. Initially, CHS planned to acquire property off Martin Luther King Junior Drive, but that deal fell through. After a year-long search, a new location off Sherman Street was secured. CHS now owns this property and is soliciting bids from developers, with contract awards expected within weeks. The project, named after former CHS clinical director Sue Pirtle, will feature 24 one-bedroom units, along with communal spaces like a community room, library, fitness room, and a teaching kitchen. The total estimated cost for Sue's Landing is around $11 million.

OMA and Y.A. Studio Complete 160-Unit Affordable Housing Development in San Francisco

OMA and Y.A. Studio Complete 160-Unit Affordable Housing Development in San Francisco

OMA and San Francisco-based Y.A. Studio have finished construction on 730 Stanyan, a 160-unit affordable housing development located next to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. This project marks OMA’s first completed 100% affordable housing development in the United States. The 1.9-million-square-foot mixed-use development was delivered for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and Chinatown Community Development Center. The apartments are permanently affordable and are designated for low-income families, formerly unhoused families, and Transitional Age Youth. The eight-story building, situated on a former fast-food site at Haight and Stanyan Streets, is designed with volumes that respond to the scale of the surrounding neighborhood, featuring four-story sections facing Haight and Waller Streets and an eight-story central volume shaped around courtyards and terraces. More than half of the apartments, specifically 82 of the 160 units, are configured with two or th...

New York Developer Proposes 129 Affordable Apartments Near Temple University, Emphasizing Energy Efficiency and Indoor Air Quality

New York Developer Proposes 129 Affordable Apartments Near Temple University, Emphasizing Energy Efficiency and Indoor Air Quality

A New York City-based developer, Jonathan Rose Cos., is proposing a 129-unit affordable apartment building at 11th and Berks Streets in North Philadelphia, near Temple University. The six-story structure, designed by Philadelphia-based WRT architects, will be built on land owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The project is notable for its adherence to the 'passive house' building standard, which aims to minimize energy use. According to Marissa Hebert, an architect with WRT, this design will result in lower utility costs for residents, improved thermal comfort, and higher indoor air quality. The majority of the units will be affordable to individuals earning 60% of the area median income (AMI), with others set at 50% and under 20% AMI. Construction is slated to begin in December, with tenants expected to move in by early 2029.

Minneapolis Court Finds City Skipped Public Housing Inspections for Decades

Minneapolis Court Finds City Skipped Public Housing Inspections for Decades

The City of Minneapolis failed to inspect public housing units for nearly 30 years, despite a city ordinance requiring such inspections. This revelation came to light after two tenants filed lawsuits due to poor living conditions. In 2020, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the city must inspect public housing units in the same manner as private rental properties. Prior to this ruling, the city had directed all complaints to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) and had not conducted its own inspections since 1992. The city had argued that its ordinance did not apply to unlicensed rental units, and the MPHA had not obtained licenses for its over 6,000 low-income homes, citing a risk of losing federal funding. However, the appeals court found both the city and the MPHA to be in error, stating that municipal code mandates inspections and the MPHA is required to obtain licenses for its rental units. The city only began routine public housing inspections after a change in state law took effect...