WS Chronicle

It’s been three years since the City of Winston-Salem said they would help the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS) make repairs to Crystal Towers. But during the city council meeting on Monday, Feb. 17, residents said not much has been done to improve the living conditions inside the building, while HAWS says more than $1 million in renovations have already been completed throughout the building. 

After initially planning to sell the 11-story high-rise located on 6th street, in 2022 HAWS decided to retain the property and work with the city to make repairs. At that time, it was reported that the public housing facility for seniors and those with disabilities needed about $10 million in renovations.  

Over the years residents have made several complaints about the building, calling out issues with broken elevators, bed bugs, rodents and other pests, security issues and more. The latest round of complaints is centered around plumbing issues throughout the building.  

Dan Rose with Housing Justice Now, a local housing rights group, presented Mayor Allen Joines and members of the Winston-Salem City Council with a petition signed by over 100 residents. Rose said many residents are afraid of retaliation if they speak out about the issues at Crystal Towers. “Seventy percent of the folks on this petition have issues in their apartments,” noted Rose during the public comment portion of the city council meeting earlier this week.  

“From sewage that’s backed up in their sinks and their bathrooms, the ceilings above the shower caked with mold and mildew. We have a whole folder full of pictures and videos.” 

Rose mentioned that when they were trying to talk to residents about the plumbing issues last October, security said they were soliciting and forced them to leave the property. “They’re sowing confusion, they’re retaliating against resident leaders. They’re not interested in democratic participation from residents,” Rose said.  

Michael Douglas, president of the Crystal Towers Residents Council, called for Kevin Cheshire, executive director of HAWS, to step down. Douglas said Cheshire, who has led HAWS since 2020 and been with the organization since 2013, doesn’t care about the residents. Douglas said what they’re asking for are basic human rights. 

“It’s time for Kevin Cheshire to step down. He is not a compassionate individual,” Douglas continued. “We have tried our best to work with him; he don’t give a damn.” 

Cheshire said his office hasn’t received any work orders for plumbing issues at Crystal Towers and that the partnership with the city is still in place. When giving an update on renovations to the building, he said they have been making improvements in phases and over $1 million in renovations have already been completed.  

The first phase of repairs included centralizing the laundry facility to prevent water intrusion into elevator shafts and other areas of the building, as well as renovations to the front lobby, while phase two was focused on replacing the elevators.  

Phase three included meetings with residents to discuss the issues in the building and a full assessment and audit to see how much repairs will cost.  

According to Cheshire, meetings with residents and community members have already been held and results from the assessment are expected to be in sometime this month. After the assessment is completed, HAWS will begin identifying funding options, which is where the city is expected to step in to cover some of the cost.  

“All the community meetings have taken place, the architect and engineers have been on site, they’re just putting together the scope of work, the renderings and the cost estimates,” Cheshire said. “The reality is that we got aging public housing stock across the country … billions of dollars’ worth of capital needs and our buildings reflect that.   

“We’ve got several aging public housing facilities and Crystal Towers is one. The truth of the matter is these buildings didn’t get in these conditions overnight and they’re not going to be improved overnight. But I think we’ve made good incremental progress, and I think we have a good plan moving forward to continue to make improvements at Crystal Towers.”   

Gwendolyn Hay, who has lived at Crystal Towers for 18 years, begged Mayor Joines and other members of the city council to step in. HAWS is not run by the city, but Mayor Joines is responsible for appointing members to the board.  

“We’re trying to survive … you promised to help us, and we need you,” Hay said. “There are so many various issues that we have, and nobody seems to understand what we’re trying to convey, but we need help.”