All American Gardens, a HUD-subsidized apartment complex in Camden’s Centerville neighborhood, just flunked its latest city checkup. Inspectors logged 156 code violations across the property, city officials said. Reinspections are planned in the coming weeks as tenants keep reporting mold, pests and electrical hazards they say never really went away even after earlier crackdowns.
Inspection results and city response
According to WHYY, the Bureau of Housing’s annual inspection turned up 156 violations spread over the 84-unit complex. City spokesman Vince Basara said the recent citations were not classified as life-threatening. He told WHYY the city plans to schedule reinspections within 30 to 60 days to give ownership time to make repairs, with tickets, summonses or other enforcement on the table if problems are not fixed. The new round of violations puts the complex back under a microscope after a 2023 inspection that left parts of the site briefly at risk of condemnation.
HUD inspection shows improvement
On the federal scorecard, the news looks better. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the property landed in HUD’s top inspection tier during an April review, a rating that typically pushes the next federal physical inspection three years down the road. That marks a step up from an August 2023 HUD inspection that had placed the complex in a lower tier and triggered faster federal follow-up.
How Camden enforces repairs
The city’s housing bureau says landlords receive a written list of violations and a set date for reinspection, and if problems are not fixed the bureau can pursue municipal court action and other enforcement. The process is governed by Camden’s Property Maintenance Code, which requires property owners to correct documented hazards or face fines and court remedies. Inspectors say upcoming reinspections will determine whether the latest round of citations has actually been addressed.
Tenants say problems continue inside units
Residents told WHYY that inside their apartments, day-to-day reality still means mold, roaches, mice, broken appliances and exposed electrical breaker boxes. Longtime tenant April Morris said she has started withholding rent and noted that a two-bedroom goes for about $1,495 a month without a HUD voucher. Morris also denies an assault allegation that management says led to a lawsuit. Nationwide Housing Management’s vice president said the company has made substantial improvements, that the property is exterminated every two months and that staff are working through units to address issues.
History of enforcement at the complex
Local reporting in 2023 detailed black mold, pest infestations and structural problems that pushed city and county officials to threaten condemnation of some units, and the mayor at the time openly criticized the owner. Coverage by KYW Newsradio and other outlets shows the property has been under heightened scrutiny for multiple years.
What happens next
Inspectors are expected to return within 30 to 60 days, and if conditions have not improved, code enforcement can issue fines or seek court remedies. The median gross rent in Camden is $1,226, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a reminder that for many tenants, even troubled apartments like these are among the few options they can afford.
