CINCINNATI — The City of Cincinnati is suing the owners of the Williamsburg Apartments of Cincinnati.
Many of the complex's more than 1,000 residents have complained about flooding, lack of heat and rodent infestations, which they said went unaddressed by the complex.
After repeated violations, Mayor Aftab Pureval said the complex had "conditions that no human being should live in." The city also announced it will form a task force to address neglect by landlords citywide.
I want to be clear that we aren’t talking about a one-time violation here. This is a pattern, and we’re filing today’s lawsuit to put an end to that pattern.
— Aftab Pureval (@AftabPureval) January 10, 2023
While there's now legal action against the complex, some residents are about to move out or are trying to get out of their leases. One resident who spoke to WCPO received a notice from the city last Tuesday ordering her to vacate by Friday, Jan. 13 because the place is considered unsafe and unsanitary.
"Why am I the only individual with the vacate order? Why is this building not being vacated?" said Rhonda Berry-Dear, who is getting ready to move out of her apartment of three years. "I'm still looking for a place to lay my head on Friday night. This was my tranquil space to heal from grieving, and to work and to just find a place that was peaceful to me, they took that away from me."
Berry-Dear said she's been complaining about smelling raw sewage from the apartment across from her that's vacant. She showed WCPO Ring Home Security video that shows that same apartment unlocked, and some people going in and out.
She said she believes there may be squatters, since the video appears to show blankets on the ground. Her Ring video also captured other people walking into the hallway, reacting to the smell coming from that apartment.
Another resident gave WCPO cell phone video she took after she said a stranger was sleeping on the ground in her new apartment when she moved in.
WCPO contacted Herron Property Management, who wouldn't answer our questions about the alleged squatters, but referred to their earlier comment Tuesday from a man who identified himself as the lawyer for the complex.
"We are aware of the situation at the property," said David Donnett. "We are cooperating with the city to resolve the citations and all other building issues as quickly as possible."
As Berry-Dear is getting ready to leave, Bra'Naye Willis and her boyfriend are still living in their apartment which has its fair share of problems.
"You can tell it hadn't been touched in years or anything like that, and I'm quite sure there was mold in it," said Willis, who showed us pictures of their vents and air conditioning unit. "We have a radiator, a space heater and then a heated blanket."
She said since they moved in last spring, they have not had working heat. They also had water leaking from the ceiling in their bathroom. It's one of the many reasons they are now trying to break their lease.
"It's supposed to be up in April, but who wants to keep paying $1,000 for garbage," Willis said.
Berry-Dear said at this moment, she still doesn't know where she's going to live, but said someone from the city contacted her about finding somewhere that could possibly be a temporary home.
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