Housing Project Residents Say Toxic Mold Making Them Sick
August 22, 2007
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BOSTON – Aug. 21 --Some residents of a Malden housing project said toxic mold in their apartments is making them sick.
NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that residents at the Linden Housing Development has more than 230 units of low-income housing, and tenants in seven of the units said that they have severe problems with mold.
"It's a warning to other people: Don't come in my house. We are already exposed to it. We don't want to expose anyone else to it because it causes a variety of sickness," resident Jim Keefe said.
"I cry. I don't know where I can go. I sleep (in) my car," resident Yuet Mee Siu said. "The smell is so bad."
Siu used a store-bought test kit and sent the results to a lab in Florida. Results indicated the presence of several molds that may cause asthma, pulmonary emphysema, dermatitis and other ailments.
"I have itchy, running eyes. I have a runny nose. I have a continuous cough," resident Joe MacEachern said.
Residents said that they suspect that the problems may have started a few years ago when the buildings were resided. They said that a rainstorm soaked the walls, and the new siding was installed over walls that were soaking wet.
Some residents said that the Malden Housing Authority has not been responsive to their complaints.
"They made a big show of having a couple of suits down here and going through people's apartments -- and still, nothing has been done by them. I mean, they spray a little bit of stuff, and 'OK. It's all been taken care of,' and it comes right back," Keefe said.
Over the phone, the housing authority's executive director, who was out of town on business, said, "We've taken the matter very seriously. Everyone is doing the best they can to assess the situation and determine whether there is something that requires remediation."
"My biggest concern is that my son and I may not be sick now, but what about living here long-term?" resident Patti Abisso said.
Officials said that the Board of Health did some testing, but the results did not confirm the presence of mold.
NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that residents at the Linden Housing Development has more than 230 units of low-income housing, and tenants in seven of the units said that they have severe problems with mold.
"It's a warning to other people: Don't come in my house. We are already exposed to it. We don't want to expose anyone else to it because it causes a variety of sickness," resident Jim Keefe said.
"I cry. I don't know where I can go. I sleep (in) my car," resident Yuet Mee Siu said. "The smell is so bad."
Siu used a store-bought test kit and sent the results to a lab in Florida. Results indicated the presence of several molds that may cause asthma, pulmonary emphysema, dermatitis and other ailments.
"I have itchy, running eyes. I have a runny nose. I have a continuous cough," resident Joe MacEachern said.
Residents said that they suspect that the problems may have started a few years ago when the buildings were resided. They said that a rainstorm soaked the walls, and the new siding was installed over walls that were soaking wet.
Some residents said that the Malden Housing Authority has not been responsive to their complaints.
"They made a big show of having a couple of suits down here and going through people's apartments -- and still, nothing has been done by them. I mean, they spray a little bit of stuff, and 'OK. It's all been taken care of,' and it comes right back," Keefe said.
Over the phone, the housing authority's executive director, who was out of town on business, said, "We've taken the matter very seriously. Everyone is doing the best they can to assess the situation and determine whether there is something that requires remediation."
"My biggest concern is that my son and I may not be sick now, but what about living here long-term?" resident Patti Abisso said.
Officials said that the Board of Health did some testing, but the results did not confirm the presence of mold.
