9500 Apartments _ Tenant Testimony — original pdf

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May 13th, 2021 Building and Standards Commission meeting testimony Hello my name is Alexis and I have been living at 9500 Apartments since 2018. I’m also a part of the 9500 Tenant Association. I am here on behalf of the many tenants that have experienced negligence from management in the form of; lack of communication and lack of repairs. Tenants need the following repairs or items have been removed from their unit with no definitive timeline of completion. Apartment conditions: ● Ripped out kitchen cabinets and kitchen and bathroom sinks ● Holes in walls and ceilings ● Exposed wiring and insulation (causing allergic skin reactions to the fiberglass) ● Hardware removed to prevent water usage in the kitchens and bathrooms ● Low or no water pressure ● Extensive water damage has caused mold to grow Communication and management behavior: Some of the behaviors management has taken against tenants have ranged from: ● Refusal to meet with the Tenant Association, after 4 written attempts requesting to meet ● Turning away Spanish speaking tenants and locking office doors in their faces ● Running away from tenants asking questions and threatening to contact lawyers ● Notices to evict tenants that have damages in their units ● Management sends the same blanket email stating that repairs are “underway” and asking us to be patient. Tenant displacement: Because of these conditions many tenants have taken it upon themselves to look for alternative housing. ● Many tenants have “unofficially” moved out because they canNOT live in their unit ● Some tenants have medical conditions that puts a strain on them financially and ● We are expected to pay full rent while living in substandard and dangerous emotionally conditions. Conclusion: We bring this to the Building and Standards Commission's attention: ● There are currently 16 active code cases ● at least 48 and counting code violations found We are actively supporting our neighbors and working with the Austin Code Department. We hope the commission will exhaust all enforcement mechanisms so that tenants get the repairs they deserve and can live in a safe and healthy environment. Thank you for your time