The (Mis)management of Millwood
The people of Milwood are subject to a startling number of tangible and intangible issues: cockroaches, mice, faulty appliances, low-quality living conditions, poor management, and a lack of community are all persistent in their day-to-day lives.
And while these conditions continue at The Blue Note, rent is still hiking upwards and tenants are expressing their frustration with the apartment complex as they presume that their concerns are going unnoticed and unaddressed due to management’s intent to continue to displace them.
THE TANGIBLE
During these canvassing sessions, Elmahaba Center uncovered that there were several instances of mice and cockroaches invading residents’ homes — over 75% of the tenants surveyed experienced ongoing pest issues within their apartment unit despite contacting maintenance.
100% of the buildings that Elmahaba Center conducted surveys in had reported instances of cockroaches or mice, meaning that each surveyed household is either experiencing or at risk for pest issues.
Tenants reported having to take matters into their own hands, oftentimes purchasing their own traps or sprays and expressing guilt or shame about the presence of pests in their homes as they scramble to dismantle the narrative that they feel management is using to justify the pest problem: low- and working-class people are “unclean.”
It is often mistakenly assumed that cockroaches and mice can only be found in dirty environments, but they are known to thrive in any type of environment.
The presence of cockroaches can also be a costly issue for many tenants.
Many tenants have to throw away and replace furniture and appliances whenever they move out, as roaches often nest into them. One tenant specifically reported having cockroaches inside her microwave and having to replace many of her belongings, fearing that she would bring pests to her new home.
Additionally, about 43% of surveyed tenants have experienced or are currently experiencing damages to their apartments like holes riddling their walls and lights that are often broken and flickering; appliances like dishwashers and air conditioning units reportedly sputter and stall.
Multiple families reported that their units harbored broken stoves and exposed wires that could potentially cause fires or injury. There were also health-risk concerns with the tap water as many tenants reported water discoloration and inconsistent water pressure and temperature during certain times of the day.
Residents shared stories of contacting maintenance and never being able to resolve the issue at hand. The inability to reach out to someone for help has discouraged tenants from trying to facilitate any type of relationship with management, creating conflict as more issues persist in Millwood households.
Unsanitary and unsafe outdoor conditions are also a big concern for families at The Blue Note.
Trash is oftentimes overflowing at dumpsters on the premises, and residents are often frustrated that they have to continue to dismantle the narrative of working-class uncleanliness, especially when they live in a community whose majority is composed of immigrants and people of color.
There was also an instance in which a burst pipe flooded a large area within the apartment complex and was left unattended for weeks during the late winter months, creating unsafe conditions for many of the young children in Millwood who like to ride bikes and take walks around the area.
Elmahaba Center’s canvassing team reported that many second-floor apartment windows in public spaces were open and without a screen, which presents a danger for unaccompanied children who are often running throughout the apartment complex.
All the while, The Blue Note continues to justify the increase in rent by promising new amenities and apartment unit upgrades.
But according to residents, their buildings and units have endured old paint, thin walls, random holes, cheap infrastructure, mouse traps, and wasp nests for months without any change; tenants expressed anger at the dreary conditions still being imposed and unaddressed, while their rent inches higher.
Additionally, a dog park, playground, a fitness center and pool were recently promised to tenants, which management has consistently cited as “new amenities.”
Their website also portrays the apartment complex under a glossy and glamorous lens, citing these amenities and boasting about their “extraordinary customer service,” “24-hour maintenance,” and even encouraging residents to take four minute-long showers as part of a “green initiative.”
As of right now, the dog park and playground have been recently installed after months of having an empty plot of dirt and rocks sitting in between apartment buildings. The promised pool is still under construction; where the pool should be, there is a large, gaping hole in the ground surrounded by a wire fence adorned with bright yellow caution tape.
“We’re probably at the stage of gentrification where they’re putting horrible conditions to push people out,” says Lydia Yousief, the Elmahaba Center director.
THE INTANGIBLE
Many of these tangible and intangible issues are attributed to management, according to several surveyed residents.
“There are also intangible problems, like the lack of communication and the abusive tactics of management to gaslight residents that their problems are not problems and, therefore, not fixable, or spraying for roaches once a week with no solution,” Yousief explains.
Many residents complained that management had been seeking different ways to profit off of them. For example, there were several reported instances of their cars — which were not illegally parked, nor in the grass — being towed from the apartment complex, and to get their cars back, they had to pay $200.
And while they may try to occasionally speak to their neighbors about issues like this, efforts to make a real change within Millwood are often shot down or distilled by an overpowering minority of tenants — predominantly white men — who are unbothered by these issues.
This lack of communication and ability to mobilize against unsanitary and unsafe conditions has translated to a lack of community within Millwood, cultivating an environment in which residents are afraid of speaking out against management and voicing their concerns.
“There was a clear paranoia when we were canvassing. It was obvious that residents feared speaking the truth and that they feared retaliation, which shows that there is no relationship of trust between management and community members.”
The Blue Note’s poor living conditions paired with Millwood’s inability to mobilize has managed to silence an entire community of marginalized people.