Repairs have started at a troubled apartment complex in Opa-locka, roughly two months after residents were forced out of their units due to flooding and rodent issues.
In August, Glorieta Gardens residents shared photos with NBC 6 showing what they call “deplorable” conditions including rats and snakes that had made their way into the apartment homes and flooding.
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About a month later, 55 families had to vacate the units while the management team assessed the issues. Glorieta Gardens management is currently housing these residents in area hotels.
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On Tuesday, the management team partnered with the City of Opa-locka for a Thanksgiving celebration at the Sherbondy Village Community Center where displaced residents gathered for food and entertainment. But the joy didn’t last as some residents aired their grievances about the situation.
Vashti Josey said she went from a three-bedroom apartment to a small hotel room and remains skeptical of the repairs being made.
“I’ve been so stressed. It’s like, I don’t do therapy but I’m looking for it right now,” Josey said. “The question is, is it going to be really repaired or is it going to be patched?”
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For the first time, Glorieta Gardens management agreed to be interviewed about the conditions at the apartment complex. Regional manager Trina Grady told NBC 6 that they’re looking forward to welcoming residents back but understand their frustrations.
“We’re in the business of housing families, not unhousing families,” said Grady. “It’s not an apology. It’s a get-together with our residents that have been relocated off the property.”
Grady said she couldn’t speak for what happened at the apartment complex before she was placed in the role in July. While she was unable to provide a timeline of repairs, ownership told NBC6 residents could be back in their apartments by Spring 2024.
“Nobody knows who actually is in charge of the building,” said displaced resident Rudolph Colebrook. “It’s a band-aid. It’s just something to show.”
As a result of the problems at Glorieta Gardens Apartments, Opa-locka’s mayor said permits are being expedited during the approval process to get the repairs done in a timely manner. In addition, he says a housing task force was created to address future problems at all of the city’s public housing locations.
“When they bring it, we try to push it through. We’re diligently working because we understand. Our heart is broken as well,” said Mayor John Taylor Jr. “No one should live like that.”
“We’re human beings. It’s the holiday time; people want to be at home with their families,” Josey said. “You want to be in your own environment.”
A U.S. Housing and Urban Development spokesperson provided the following updated statement to NBC6 on Tuesday:
The priority for HUD is to ensure displaced Glorieta Gardens residents return to homes that are safe and sanitary. We continue working with the property owner as they address needed repairs, and we are coordinating with officials from the City of Opa-Locka on approval of City permits as work advances in stages.
While HUD cannot provide an actual date of when relocated residents will be back in their homes, renovations are underway, including better maintenance of plumbing and pest control issues for tenants onsite. We continue closely monitoring the situation; plumbing work orders are being addressed promptly, and weekly pest control services are provided by a licensed pest control company. This work has continued alongside the response to recent flooding in the area.
