Stanley Holmes Village residents "don't deserve to live like this," Atlantic City mayor says
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- The mayor of Atlantic City on Thursday called the living conditions at Stanley Holmes Village Apartments "inhumane." Mayor Marty Small Sr. revealed the findings of an inspection at the housing complex.
Residents of the housing complex have told CBS Philadelphia in recent weeks they've had heating issues, no hot water and bug infestations, and that's just a few of their problems.
The city sent in inspectors and the results are in.
"Infestation of mice, bedbugs, roaches," Dale Finch, director of Atlantic City's Department of Licensing and Inspections, said. "Horrendous problem."
Atlantic City leaders say there is a long list of problems and safety concerns at Stanley Holmes Village.
Along with heating and hot water problems, a disturbing show and tell Thursday revealed mold, broken toilets, holes in ceilings and infestations.
"It's sad when you look at the pictures," Small said, "and this is just some, some of the pictures."
City inspectors visited 320 apartments over several days and say they found problems in all of them.
According to reports, every unit has basic heat, but it doesn't mean they are all warm.
"Some of them, the second-floor bedrooms, the heat does not meet the threshold," Finch said. "The threshold is 68 degrees."
There are no thermostats in the apartments. Inspectors say some were chilly.
In others, the temperature was over 80 degrees.
Forty-five units still have hot water issues. Plumbing is also a problem.
"We've had a few bathrooms where the toilets were not working," Finch said. "They were broken."
"If this was an occupancy inspection, meaning that you are allowed to live in that unit, it meets all the code requirements," Small said. "Not one apartment of the 415 would pass."
The federally funded public housing is managed by the Atlantic City Housing Authority, which reports to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"This is a HUD, housing authority issue," Small said. "We're doing what's right because of the people of Stanley Holmes do not deserve to live like that. People anywhere don't deserve to live like this."
The city issued violations and deadlines.
If action plans to fix the property are not put in place, the city will begin to issue fines.
"It is ridiculous," Small said, "and we need action not now, but right now."
If the fines are ignored and the problems are not fixed, the city solicitor says they will go to court to demand the residents be relocated.
