Residents at the Washington at Historic Westside Village in Atlanta say they have been living for months with standing water pooling in hallways, slippery floors underfoot and a fungus-like substance creeping across walls and ceilings, with no sign of a fix on the horizon. They say calls and messages to the HOA and property management have gone unanswered, leaving them to deal with the mess — and the worry — on their own.
Angela Vaughn, who lives in the building, said the hallway in her unit has been wet for two months. “It's been like this two months. It stinks,” Vaughn told WSB-TV. She said she sent reporter Eryn Rogers a video showing the conditions when the water problem first started.
Neighbor Janet Nations described a similar, worsening situation. “It was water leaking up out the floor, and it kept getting worse and worse and worse,” she said, according to the station's report. Nations said she suspects the building's foundation is damaged, though residents say they remain unsure exactly what is causing the water to appear in the first place.
Falls, Cardboard Patches and No Timeline
The station's own crew observed the conditions firsthand, noting puddles of water in the stairwell, growth spreading up and along the walls, and a ceiling area that appeared to be falling apart. Nations said the hazard has already cost her physically — she reported that she has fallen several times inside the building.
Residents said management's response so far has amounted to placing paper or cardboard over some of the wet spots. One resident said that fix has done nothing to solve the underlying problem. “They just put cardboard down, and that doesn't help anything,” the resident said, per the same account. Residents say they have not been given any timeline for when repairs might actually happen.
Health Worries Mount as Calls Go Unreturned
Beyond the physical danger of slick floors, several residents say they are now worried about their health. Nations said she has started coughing and fears she could get sicker the longer the conditions persist. “I'm already coughing, so I am concerned about being sick,” she said.
Vaughn said her brother, who lives with her, has already gone to the hospital, and she believes the growth in the building — or breathing it in — could be contributing to his health problems. “It's nasty, germy, dangerous, and it's ridiculous,” Vaughn said, summing up her frustration with the building's upkeep.
Residents describe repeated, fruitless attempts to get the HOA and property management to intervene. “We've contacted management. They haven't reached back out or anything. It's been voicemail, voicemail,” Vaughn said. Rogers reported that she herself tried reaching property management starting at the beginning of September but had not received a response by the time the story was published.
What Atlanta's Rules Say About Mold and Code Complaints
Atlanta's city code includes provisions specifically aimed at this kind of issue. An ordinance passed by the Atlanta City Council amended the city's Housing Code to set guidelines for identifying and remediating mold growth in multifamily properties. Separately, the City of Atlanta directs residents with other code, property or housing concerns to contact 311 for assistance.
For tenants trying to understand their rights more broadly, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs publishes a landlord-tenant handbook meant to answer common questions about state housing law, though the agency notes it is not a substitute for professional legal advice.
For now, residents at Washington at Historic Westside Village say they just want the problem addressed before anyone else gets hurt or sick. They say they are still waiting for management to pick up the phone.
