WS Chronicle

It’s only been one week since residents from Crystal Towers made complaints about living conditions inside the building, and now tenants from another public housing facility for seniors have come forth with similar complaints.  

Over the past year the residents of Healy Towers say they’ve been facing a number of issues including bedbugs and other pests, mold, plumbing issues, and problems with security.  

Edith Chisholm, a resident and leader of Healy Towers United, an organization of residents, said they have taken their complaints to management and the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS) but nothing has been done to improve living conditions. “We’ve been trying to work with management and the Housing Authority … to resolve our issues, but we continue to be ignored,” said Chisholm during a press conference outside Healy Towers on Monday, Feb. 24. 

Several residents said the living conditions inside Healy Towers have caused health issues. Carolyn Townsend said mold and the air quality in the building have caused her to develop breathing problems. “I am having serious problems breathing, which is not a problem I had previously,” Townsend said.  

Mike Gattis, who has lived at Healy Towers since 2010, said the bed bugs in his apartment have affected his ability to see his family. He mentioned that his daughter won’t bring his grandkids to his apartment because of the infestation. “My daughter won’t bring them over and I don’t blame her,” Gattis said.  

Michelle Boone spoke at the press conference on behalf of her mother, Mary Tyler. Boone said the residents of Healy Towers have already paid their dues to society and deserve to live in a place that’s comfortable, safe and clean. Boone said her mother moved to Healy Towers a year ago because she wanted to live independently. “She doesn’t want to live with her children and that’s her right. But she deserves to live comfortably,” Boone said.  

With help from Housing Justice Now, a local housing rights group, Healy Towers United started a petition demanding changes that has been signed by more than half of the residents that live in the building.  

HAWS Responds  

Kevin Cheshire, executive director of HAWS, said the press conference was a coordinated effort by Housing Justice Now to drum up public outrage over false pretenses. 

In the press release obtained by The Chronicle on Monday, Cheshire mentioned that Housing Justice Now has used these tactics before. Housing Justice Now helped organize residents at Crystal Towers, which houses seniors and those with disabilities. Cheshire also mentioned that he has a strong working relationship with the Healy Towers Resident Council.  

“The same tactic has been employed by this same group at one of our other locations, where old pictures and video have been used to imply that they are reflective of current conditions – which is simply untrue,” Cheshire continued.  

“We will continue to work with residents and the Resident Council to address legitimate facility, operational, maintenance or management concerns, as we always have. We will, however, not continue to waste valuable time, resources and energy engaging with or responding to outside agitators whose primary objective appears to be the fomentation of disharmony, division and chaos with our communities.”  

Along with the press release, Cheshire included five pages of work orders that have been completed at Healy Towers since the beginning of the year. He said the work orders are almost always completed within 24-hours and they reflect issues expected in an apartment building that was built in the 1980s. 

In addition to work orders, Cheshire mentioned that $2 million has been spent on improvements at Healy Towers, including a fire system upgrade and a complete renovation of the dayroom. 

“While the challenges inherent in the operation of public housing high rise buildings are well documented, I am very proud of the hard work undertaken day-in and day-out by our on-site management and maintenance teams,” Cheshire said.