ARAB, Ala. (WHNT) — Tenants at the Brandywine Apartments in Arab say conditions are unsafe and a major health concern.
Chasity Collins lives at that apartment complex, a living situation she describes as a nightmare.
Collins recalls a fire back in January of 2024 that destroyed a unit and damaged the structural integrity of the entire building. She said it stemmed from a dispute between a man inside the residency and the Arab Police Department, resulting in police throwing tear gas inside the apartment.
She added that the apartment looks the same today as it did 14 months ago, but the issues don’t stop there.
“The fire just completely damaged that building,” Collins said. “It is non-livable, but there are still people living in that building. There are people living all around that fire building. We have massive holes in our ceiling that lead up to the top floor. We have massive holes in our walls, mold, and mildew.”
Despite attempts to get help from private owners, Sunbelt Management Company, Collins said her requests went unanswered. She recalls other tenants having drainage issues that resulted in flooding, saying management instructed them to work independently to fix the problem.
“Maintenance is never done,” Collins said. “We’ve had floods in buildings, and management has told us, ‘do damage control. We’re at a ball game, do damage control. It’s after hours.’ We have several senior citizens and elderly that live here, and they can’t get assistance. They can’t get help.”
Brandywine Apartments is a low-income housing complex. Collins said it is mainly older adults and single mothers with their children who call the complex home.
Collins, saying she is “standing up for the voiceless”, is taking the issues to the next level.
“Reached out to the USDA Rural Housing Authority,” Collins said. “I’ve reached out to the Health Department. Health Department can’t do anything because this is a self-governed property. USDA, they did send me in the right direction to start that formal complaint, which we have started. It’s almost a 14-page complaint.”
Because it is housing for low-income people, Collins told News 19, many don’t have the means to move and find other housing. Some that do have the resources have moved out, making it one of the least-occupied complexes in the city despite a so-called housing crisis in Arab.
“Right here is 38% occupancy,” Collins said. “And if you live in Arab, you know that people are constantly looking for places to live. So why there are so many vacancies here is just, I mean, that’s a huge red flag in itself.”
After speaking with her and other residents who wished to stay off the record, News 19 went to Arab City Hall to speak with Mayor Bob Joslin. Joslin said he was going to send a code enforcement officer to the property.
In an update Thursday, he told News 19:
“Our Code Enforcement Officer met with the apartment manager and new owner representative yesterday. They advised him they have received the insurance money and are scheduling repairs to the apartment. Therefore, we feel the issue is being resolved in a timely manner.”
Mayor Bob Joslin, City of Arab
When asked if there was a timeline set for the managers and owners or a process in place to ensure the repairs are done, the mayor said:
“We are waiting to get a schedule from them as they indicated other improvements were also being considered.”
News 19 reached out to the Sunbelt Management Company two weeks ago after first hearing of the apartment’s conditions. After learning the reason for our call, they said they could no longer speak to us. An attempt to contact today was met with an automated line that said it could not direct News 19 to an operator.
The post News 19 Exclusive: Tenant says Arab apartment is nearly unlivable appeared first on WHNT.
