Lawsuit filed against City Housing Authority over University Court conditions » Urban Milwaukee

“College Court residents have been suffering from an endemic infestation of bed bugs and rodents for far too long,” says a recently filed lawsuit against the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM).

The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of residents of College Court Apartments, 3334 W. Highland Blvd., by Michael Cerjak by Barton Cerjak.

It represents the latest escalation of a campaign by Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin to improve conditions for residents of the city’s beleaguered housing authority.

A list of several thousand work orders issued over the past five years, obtained by Common Ground through a records request, shows routine maintenance issues consistent with a large complex, but also more than 2,000 entries related to “pest control” and many explicit mentions of “roaches” and “bed bugs.”

“What we are asking for Willie Hines “What you need to do is spray the entire building thoroughly, not play whack-a-mole,” the Common Ground organizer said. Kevin Solomon at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

The two-tower, 251-unit complex was built in 1968. Its one-bedroom apartments are reserved exclusively for low-income residents.

All five named plaintiffs attest to having seen numerous bed bugs in their apartments, and many of them claim to have been bitten by them repeatedly. In their statements, they claim to have had to go to the emergency room for bleeding and to have had instances where bed bugs were found in their ears.

In the lawsuit, they claim they engaged in actions ranging from sleeping with the lights on to storing all clothing in plastic bags in an effort to ward off bedbugs and other pests.

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on blood, usually at night. The most common sign of their bite is skin irritation, including red patches and blisters.

The lawsuit, pending before a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, JD Wattsrequests that HACM improve the conditions or that the court authorize a rent reduction for a condition that “materially affects the health or safety of the tenant or substantially impairs the use and occupancy of the premises” and to approve any other relief deemed just and equitable.

College Court is one of two properties that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s top public housing official, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard J. Monocchiovisited two weeks ago.

“During my visit to Milwaukee, I saw the conditions at Locust Court and College Court as I toured both buildings with the residents who live there and listened to their concerns. HUD is fully focused on ensuring that the City of Milwaukee and the housing authority quickly resolve these issues and ensure that appropriate cleanliness and safety standards are successfully met,” Monocchio said in an Aug. 19 statement issued after her visit.

The federally backed housing authority has been mired in controversy for more than a year over concerns about poor building conditions and oversight.

Previously, HUD issued a corrective action plan for HACM to implement, including outsourcing management of a Section 8 voucher program that uses public funds to pay people living in private residences. A 2022 HUD report concluded that HACM’s voucher management was “at risk for serious fraud, waste, and abuse.”

Common Ground, a broad-based coalition, launched its campaign in March 2023. On August 1, it issued an open letter urging the mayor Knight Johnson stop supporting the HACM leader Willie Hines, Jr.

The coalition has already won a number of changes, including the city closing a loophole in which HACM inspected its own properties and the council allocating limited municipal resources to make repairs to the properties. But its Aug. 1 letter says real improvement can’t happen until “competent senior leadership” is appointed.

Common Ground members reiterated their call for change on Wednesday.

“This is another systemic failure by Willie Hines, a failure that deeply harms residents,” he said. Will Davispastor of Invisible Reality Ministries and member of the Common Ground strategy team.

The initial plaintiffs are Carmella Holloway, Stacy Ream, Sandra Aguila, Charlene Bell and Rickey WrightTheir leases range from 22 years to less than a year. Other plaintiffs, who must also be residents, could be added to the class.

“I have been paying for a bedbug-infested unit that I have not been able to sleep in for nine months. I have had to stay at my mother’s house despite reliably paying rent every month,” Ream, 40, said in a statement.

“I found two dead bed bugs in my ear,” said Holloway, 67. “Earlier this year, I went to the emergency room because I scratched my bed bug bites, causing blood to drip down my arms and legs. I haven’t been able to sleep well at night in months. I never have visitors in my home anymore. How can this be acceptable? Most of us are seniors and people with disabilities. Yet we pay rent. Don’t evict us, evict the bed bugs.”

Cerjak previously successfully represented tenants of Community Within The Corridor in receiving a cash settlement after the building was found to have been treated environmentally improperly.

This story will be updated with additional information following a press conference.