CLEVELAND — Housing vouchers are supposed to help people in need, but News 5 Investigators took an in-depth look at how your tax dollars are sometimes paying for poor living conditions and the frustrations of finding a home.
“Oooo, it stinks down here,” said Ida Marks when we caught up with her recently, where she lives on Cleveland’s East Side.
“It’s a mess on the floor,” she said while pointing to the basement of her duplex where she rents. She told us it had been weeks since the basement flooded.
PIPE PROBLEM LED TO NO WATER, NO HEAT
Marks, who uses a rental assistance voucher, said the problems started in the middle of January. A pipe problem left water everywhere, and the heat went out. She said she called the maintenance guy, but days went by.
“What’s going through your mind?” we asked.
“They don’t care about us,” she replied.
She told us the water was out for weeks but then the day before we interviewed her, it was finally turned back on. “We get cold water but no hot water,” she said.
“And what’s the situation with the heat?” we asked.
“No heat,” Marks said.
“And did they give you any kind of timeframe to come out?” we inquired.
“No, no, no. They didn’t give me no timeframe,” Marks said.
“So, what are you supposed to do?” we asked.
“I don’t know,” she said.
And she is not the only one in the duplex. Natasha Williams and her five children live upstairs.
“How are you keeping warm?” we asked.
“Heaters and a stove,” Williams answered.
We called the management company to ask about the complaints and what it was doing about the heat and water. JBS Realty told us the flooding in the basement froze over, making repairs more difficult, and it pointed out the tenants were having problems paying rent.
“I don’t understand how you can have tenants living in your home without water and you know they have children,” said Williams.
HAS RENTAL VOUCHER BUT TROUBLE FINDING HOME
Meanwhile in Parma, Elizabeth Perisutti reached out to us about problems with her duplex. She said her utility bills have risen dramatically. “It’s something constant and because I can’t pay these high bills, it’s like I got to move,” said Perisutti.
She has paid her rent on time, but when she raised concerns about higher costs, she said her landlord threatened to evict her.
While we were interviewing her, the landlord and Perisutti got into an argument. “Okay listen. Do whatever you want. By law, we go into court. We see after. No problem,” he said and walked back into the kitchen.
“When he gives you a 30-day notice, what goes through your mind at that point?” we asked Perisutti.
“Where am I going to go? What am I going to do? I can’t get any help,” said Perisutti.
Moments later, the landlord said he wanted to work something out. “If you want to stay by (yourself), I fix the house,” said the landlord.
“Me and the (grandkids). That’s what I told you before,” said Perisutti.
“Good,” said the landlord.
FAILED INSPECTIONS BUT ALLOWED BACK INTO PROGRAM
Thousands of people are on a waiting list to receive rental help through the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA).
“So, really… you got so many people homeless out here because they can’t afford…and then when they go and get on Section 8, nobody wants to take it,” said Perisutti.
Back on the East Side, Marks said it took more than a month to finally fix the heat and hot water. CMHA said the property failed three inspections, and the contract with the landlord was canceled.
“Where am I going to move to? I got to go find a place to move to,” said Marks.
However, as soon as repairs happened, the landlord was allowed to receive vouchers again. But, as we found out a week later, another big problem popped up.
“Be careful now. There’s water,” said Marks, showing us that her basement was once again flooded. “I’m about tired. I’m really tired of living here now,” Marks told us.
Perisutti said that her landlord has not signed the Section 8 housing papers, so she needs a new place.
Marks said it took almost another week before the hot water was turned back on again.
We’ve attempted to get in touch with Marks’ property management company several times since our initial phone call with it, even going to its offices, but we were turned away at the door
Marks said she won’t pay her portion of the rent for a property that’s had so many problems. But, while that might sound reasonable to some people, the rules state tenants need to be current with rent. Then, there’s a process to place rent into escrow while the issues are hopefully taken care of.
