ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 shot video of water pouring in from a ceiling and walls and mildew growing on rugs in a low-income housing unit in Orlando that taxpayers help pay for.
A tenant who is the mother of three young children contacted Channel 9 after she said the complex ignored her concerns.
The religious organization that owns the Windsor Cove apartments has received millions of federal tax dollars since 2012 to offer safe homes to low-income families.
"This is how much water is in the bathroom," said resident Kensha Loyd, who has been dealing with the problem since July 3. "As you can see, my apartment is still filling with water as we speak."
Loyd said water has steadily dripped from a gaping hole in her ceiling, where a light hangs by electrical wires.
She has used trash cans, towels and rugs to collect the water.
"This is completely soaked," she said. "This is mildew, because it's been sitting so long."
Last year, Congress passed a law requiring the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to better police federally subsidized properties.
"It's not the best apartment complex, but we (were) comfortable in our space, in our own home," Loyd said.
Tennessee's Global Ministries Foundation owns the apartment complex, and Ohio's Millenia Management oversees the property.
When Channel 9's Megan Cruz visited the local leasing office, someone inside closed and locked the door.
Speaking through a mail slot, the person told Cruz to contact Millenia Management's corporate office.
Channel 9 contacted Global Ministries Foundations, HUD and Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio.
HUD thanked Channel 9 for bringing the issue to the agency's attention and said Millenia Management should be sending a contractor to the apartment Thursday.
Loyd said no one has visited her apartment yet.
Rubio's office told Channel 9 it is committed to ensuring federal tax dollars aren't mismanaged.
Channel 9 didn't hear back from Millenia Management, Global Ministries Foundations or Nelson.
And this is what the floors look like - water pooling everywhere, causing mildew to grow on her rugs! See what happens when we go to her leasing office for answers. @WFTV #WFTV pic.twitter.com/YAR8RlkTpd
— Megan Cruz (@MeganWFTV) July 12, 2018
AT 5:25PM: it’s #dejavu at an #Orlando low income apartment complex! @DJonesWFTV first told you about Windsor Cove back in 2015. Today, another tenant showed me the water leak around her ceiling light! She says the complex hasn’t fixed it in over a week. @WFTV #WFTV pic.twitter.com/S3mhGrGURF
— Megan Cruz (@MeganWFTV) July 12, 2018
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