PETERSBURG, Va. — Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, Del. Kimberly Pope Adams, and Sen. Lashrecse Aird are sending a formal request to HUD to reinspect the Carriage House apartment building after the City of Petersburg found code violations.
McClellan and Pope Adams met with the city on Tuesday to get the latest on the situation. She said they are working to use both state and federal resources to help the around 150 residents displaced since the building was red tagged.
The city found water heating issues, unsanitary conditions, and pipe and roof leaks. Residents have also reported broken elevators as well as rodents and bugs in the building.
McClellan said she wants to find out if Carriage House is abiding by the quality standards of HUD’s voucher program. If not, she believes the property should not be part of the program.
Officials are exploring whether residents can receive portable vouchers so they can live somewhere else.
“We’re not backing down until these residents are living in conditions that every human being deserves to live in, and that we’re going to use every tool in our disposal to make that happen,” McClellan said.
McClellan said the vouchers residents currently have are specific to the Carriage House.
“The last thing we want to do is continue to displace these residents so we are exploring whether the vouchers the residents have can be turned into portable vouchers so they can find a different place to live. I think the big part of the issue that we vouchers they have are specific to the Carriage House,” McClellan said.
According to McClellan, on Friday the city lifted the red tag on the apartments and is allowing the property owner to make repairs.
McClellan said officials have not heard back from the property management company, Envolve, after sending them a letter last Friday.
12 On Your Side also reached out to the property management company, but we have not heard back yet.
Delegate Pope Adams said multiple attorneys have reached out offering help to the residents impacted.
Officials plan to host a Q&A for residents at some point in June.