This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continued to press the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for “immediate action to ensure sanitary and safe living conditions” for Jacksonville residents living in public housing.
On Wednesday, Rubio sent a letter to U.S. HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge urging her to improve conditions at Hilltop Village Apartments.
“The letter follows reports of unacceptable conditions at the property, as well as a site visit from the senator’s staff, in which they found evidence of a severe rodent infestation and chronic garbage overflow throughout the entire property. Hilltop Village Apartments is federally contracted through the Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance program,” Rubio’s office noted.
“I write to direct your attention to unsafe and unsanitary living conditions that my constituents are currently facing at Hilltop Village Apartments in Jacksonville, Florida,” Rubio wrote Fudge. “After receiving outreach directly from affected residents, my staff visited the facility on May 3, 2021. During these visits, my staff met with tenants and found disturbing evidence of a severe rodent infestation and chronic garbage overflow throughout the entire property. Tenants continue to find rodents inside of bedding, kitchen cabinets, indoor furniture, bathrooms, and more generally.”
“I request immediate action to ensure that constituents are guaranteed the safe and sanitary living conditions they are afforded by law,” Rubio continued. “This must include an immediate REAC inspection to update the inspection score of the property as well as requiring remediation measures to ensure the rodent infestation is swiftly and completely resolved. I also request that a Management and Occupancy Review be performed and the enforcement of any applicable penalties on ownership or management for failure to comply.”
At the end of last week, Rubio wrote Fudge a similar letter, calling for her to improve conditions at Eastside Terrace Apartments and Eastside Gardens Apartments, which are also in the Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance program. Both of those apartments are in Jacksonville.
Reach Kevin Derby at [email protected].
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