In the past few years I have seen more of us suffer with the black mold issue in silence than with any other issue out of fear of retaliation or eviction, but why is it that landlords are able to rent out these poisoned boxes in the disguise of apartments to unsuspecting tenants while landlords are more than likely aware of the risks to the people’s health?
Mold is a fungus that is produced in the moisture of tile crevices, HVAC systems, attics, doors, crawlspaces, windows and under carpets. It is known to stick to walls and other surfaces but mold can also be airborne.
According to WeSearch, (POOR Magazine research) prolonged exposure to Mold, AKA Stachybotrys especially Black Mold can lead to more serious and permanent respiratory damage if the poison is not eradicated in a urgent timeframe. Those in contact with mold also increase the risks of medical problems such as allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue and even depression. Chronic coughing, irritation to the eyes nose and throat area are also symptoms of mold/black mold poisoning.
A longtime member of POOR Magazine along with her family has been the victim of not one incident of black mold, but 2 incidents where herself and her children’s health had declined to a point where the doctor even said that they can no longer reside at the residences that were infested by the mold. All of her clothing, furniture, books and other possessions were contaminated with the poison and the poor family had to bear the burden of being houseless without the adequate help from millionaire slumlords who does not care if the tenants live or die from this “domestic cyanide”
Was it the same “domestic cyanide” that sickened our elder Panther Richard Brown, whose Prince Hall apartment unit was riddled with black mold everywhere and to the point that walls had to be torn down in his home and poorly replaced? Mr. Brown was constantly in the ICU department at UC hospital where according to his caretaker and daughter-in-law, Ms. Kenyatta “He would be doing better with his breathing and overall health, but soon as he was sent home he would be sick all over again. I pressed for the management to do something about the mold for a very long time, but by the time management took the issue seriously it was too late.” We lost our elder Mr. Brown in the summer of 2018.
In my own apartment in the Fill-no-mo my family has had issues with black mold, bug infestations and the year long wait periods for basic appliances like a stove and although I was number #6 on the list to get the damp, muggy carpet removed -there are vacancies in the Plaza East complex that have been attended to better than the unit I live in after being immediately moved in after a family without so much as new blinds, repairs to the previous families’ damages nor a fresh paint job. My daughter deals with headaches and nosebleeds while I’m always feeling fatigue and “down”. Our kitchen sink is leaking water and our garbage disposal is not working. I’m always trying to budget my low income to pay for the repairs but when all you can afford is cheap labor with a band-aid patchwork don’t expect for the problem to be solved via discount- you get what you pay for.
The slap in the face is that you will have the naysayers with a whole bunch of money spew from their mouths- “If you don’t like the condition of the place, MOVE!” These wealth hoarders that outlaw homelessness and poverty speak upon this housing sin committed against humanity as if we all have thousands upon thousands of dollars to give to a careless, greedy “landlord” who, in return rents to us poor families and those a notch above poor poisonous places we are suppose to be able to call “home”...