LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some people who live at one of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority’s properties said conditions are unacceptable.

What You Need To Know

  • Some residents complain of issues with bed bugs, mold, and plumbing

  • Laura Thornsbury has lived in the Avenue Plaza for almost three years 

  • Thornsbury said she’s able to get some things fixed by calling code enforcment she claims when she lets the building office know nothing gets done

  • The Louisville Metro Housing Authority said the health and safety of residents will always be a top priority, and it takes alleged concerns from residents seriously

Laura Thornsbury has lived in the Avenue Plaza for almost three years. She said every year the conditions get worse.

“The whole building is infested with mold, dust, cockroaches, bedbugs,” said Thornsbury.

According to the Louisville Metro Housing Authority website, Avenue Plaza is primarily for seniors and people with disabilities

“Majority of people live here are on fixed incomes. So, for us to put money, keep putting money into something that is just going to break, flood out and be ruined, there’s no reason for us to keep trying to make what we have a better home,” Thornsbury said.

Thornsbury is not alone. Some other residents echo her sentiments.

“I’ve had sewage in my shower for six months now. They come in and drain it, and it’s still in there. They didn’t even clean all of it up or nothing. I’ve had an infestation of bedbugs and roaches tremendously. I haven’t seen no exterminator in my apartment in four, almost four months,” said resident Stephanie Centers. 

Amy Still also live at Avenue Plaza and told Spectrum News 1 there are bumps on her dog.

“That’s part allergies, and part bugs, bedbugs,” she said.

Other residents claim there is a bug problem. 

“Oh, it’s bad. We got mold. We got bedbugs. Roaches,” said Rosie Silver.

Thornsbury said she has asthma, emphysema and lung disease. She said LMHA told her she didn’t meet medical requirements to be transferred to another location.

“I literally go every week and get an allergy shot. I had to take a pill. I have to use no spray. I dropped everything just to try to keep my allergies under control, which in the long run, when they’re affected, they affect my breathing,” Thornsbury said. 

Some people who live there say they continue to have issues with plumbing.

“I broke one of my arms in this building on the third floor when I lived down there going to my apartment from walking through water to get to my apartment because it was flooded out. I’ve had four surgeries on my arm from an injury in this building,” Thornsbury added.. 

Thornsbury said she’s able to get some things fixed by calling code enforcement. She claims when she lets the building office know nothing gets done.

“There’re excuses always. They don’t have the maintenance. They have your work order, but they ain’t been able to get around to it,” she said. 

Thornsbury believes the property, which was built in 1974, can’t be fixed with repairs.

“It needs to be tore {sic} down. They need to start over,” she said. 

According to the Metro Government, the first and second floors of the building are housed by LMHA. Floors three through 18 are residential. 

We reached out to LMHA for comment. Executive Director Lisa Osanka said they vow to investigate complaints from residents.

“The health and safety of residents will always be a top priority, and we take alleged concerns from residents seriously. Louisville Metro Housing Authority is limited by several privacy laws and therefore is not able to comment on specific (or in this case generalized) reports,” Osanka said in a statement to Spectrum News 1. 

Osanka resigned from her position last month following criticism of conditions at Dosker Manor. She is staying on the job until a replacement is found.

Related Stories