WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio are testifying before a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They’re discussing the process for inspecting federally-subsidized housing complexes owned by Global Ministries Foundation. The foundation runs low-income homes at Windsor Cove Apartments in Orlando and Jacksonville.
Nelson and Rubio have both visited the apartment complexes and said they were appalled by the living conditions for residents.
"Children getting sick. Ambulances coming every day. Children with snotty nose because of the condition of the mold and things," said Shaquanta Wright, a resident at Windsor Cove.
The senators are calling for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to survey tenants living in subsidized housing twice a year about property conditions and management performance. They said the measure could give residents a chance to report issues and not worry about eviction for coming forward.
“We saw standing water in apartments, damaged roofs, collapsed ceilings, and we breathed air that reeked of mold,” Rubio said.
"Why did HUD have such a crazy system that was not reflective of the reality that we saw?” Nelson said.
the committee in Washington has already heard two readings of Nelson's Housing Accountability Act, but lawmakers have not voted on it.
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