Fort Lauderdale mother claims her apartment has had mold for 6 years, causing health issues for her son
A mother in Fort Lauderdale said she has been battling mold in her apartment for 6 years, claiming the property management is giving her the runaround, which they have denied.
Madeline Willis said she has lived at Dr. Kennedy Homes, an affordable housing property run by the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale, since 2018. She told CBS News Miami she first noticed mold in her kitchen in 2020 and has been reporting it to property management ever since.
Willis said the property's response has been to patch and paint over the affected areas, but the mold keeps coming back. She showed CBS News Miami pages of documentation, including emails back and forth with property management and photos she has taken over the years.
"They're saying that it's not mold. I got a second mold test in May after they came here. They did an air quality test. They confirmed that it's mold in my apartment," Willis said.
She said she hired a mold inspector twice and the reports showed high levels of mold in her apartment. One report recommended remediation and noted the mold growth appeared to have been scraped off and patched, which the report said could have spread mold spores into the air.
"They denied me for mold remediation back in March, and they told me with their lawyers, look, if you don't like the living, you can terminate your lease with no penalty, and you can move out. But I've been here for 8 years. I don't have the money to move, so you want me to be out on the street," Willis said.
According to Willis, the property brought in its own mold inspectors and said those results did not show elevated mold levels.
In an email to CBS News Miami, the property's lawyer said "no mold has ever been discovered in Ms. Willis' apartment," and she can voluntarily terminate her lease without penalty.
A letter from management's lawyer to Willis stated that their inspections and testing did not reveal elevated mold or an "actionable mold condition," and added that "leaving windows open during periods of high heat and humidity may promote mold growth."
Willis said her toddler has developed respiratory issues. She showed CBS News Miami letters from her son's pediatrician who believes the issues could be connected to the mold.
"Due to a lack of funds, I can't move. As a mother, I can't do anything," Willis said, becoming emotional.
Dr. Kennedy Homes is an affordable housing property for low-income families. Willis says vacancies at comparable properties are hard to find and the open market is out of reach.
"I'm stuck here. No one has rent that's $1,200 now. Everybody wants three times the rent," Willis said.
CBS News Miami went to the management office on the property. Management said they could not comment. The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale did not make anyone available for an interview before our deadline.
If you have breaking news, a tip, or an issue you think deserves investigation, contact our newsroom at 844-404-4954 (Broward) or 844-404-4305 (Miami-Dade). You can also email us at wfornews@cbs.com or fill out this form: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/have-a-news-tip/