ATLANTA — Renters living in an Atlanta apartment complex say a strong odor is making them sick.
They claim the smell of raw sewage has seeped into parts of the property after years of backflow.
Management told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln that they made repairs to fix the backflow issue, but renters say the smell is still unbearable.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs say they are now looking into this after complaints.
At that property, the odor hits you like a brick wall before you walk inside the units.
“It seems to me they don’t care,” said resident Mary McMullen-Cobb.
Renters living at the Flipper Temple Apartments in northwest Atlanta say they’re overwhelmed by a suffocating smell of sewage and mold.
McMullen-Cobb says she’s had to clean up raw sewage several times. Thick sludge has backed up into her bathtub and toilet.
One image shows black sludge filling her entire tub.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re doing anything for us,” said renter Mary Cobb.
Outside, dried toilet tissue lines the plumbing area, resembling cement around the pipes.
Apartment management confirmed there was a sewage issue in August but said repairs were made. They declined to answer additional questions.
Renters say the problem goes beyond what’s visible. They say the odor of sewage is creating major health concerns.
“It’s very hard,” McMullen-Cobb said. “I have to come outside often just to get some air.
The Pennsylvania-based company that owns the complex accepts U.S. Housing and Urban Development subsidies and recently received a score of 74 in its May inspection.
HUD could not respond to a request for comment due to the government shutdown.
The state Department of Community Affairs says it doesn’t oversee property maintenance but monitors the complex under its tax credit program. DCA says it’s now reviewing the property after a resident filed a complaint.
Cobb says after she reported the conditions to Atlanta’s code enforcement office, management retaliated by terminating her lease.
“It’s awful,” Cobb said. “It really is awful.”
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