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Senior citizen apartments turning into slums
To the editor:
I am in a state of outrage over the things that are being allowed to go on in this small town of Blytheville, Ark. I was born and raised in this city and made a choice to continue to live here. But when will things change? And yes, change has to take place and it needs to start with how we deal with our senior citizens living in the places that are supposed to supply them with a good and peaceful living environment in their last days.
My sister lives in the senior citizen housing called Senior Citizen Clearlake apartments. Well, I must change that statement too, because what was supposed to be for senior citizens is now housing young adults and children. Anyway, my concern is the fact that my sister, who is a senior citizen, lives in these apartments. I must say the living conditions are atrocious, and beneath what should be considered livable. Last year, those apartments became infested with bugs. Some called them bed bugs, but others stated they did not know what they were. But the fact remains that these bugs caused them to lose their furniture, their bedding and most of their clothing, but no one seems to care. The Housing Authority finally came and sprayed, took the base boards off, and never did a thorough follow-up. But please tell me how you can get rid of an infestation when you don't treat all of the apartments in the circle? Creatures are smart and know how to get away from danger. Then they return after the dust settles to take up habitat again.
Society has given a name to people that run apartments and buildings below standards. They are called "slum lords." So why is it that a government entity is able to get away with allowing people to live this way? It has been over a year and my sister's apartment still does not have baseboards, and this week, she had a baby bird fall through the ceiling down the wall into her living room. You can hear the rodents in the walls and ceiling of the apartments. The electrical and gas bills are high because there is not insulation to keep the cold out in the winter and the air in during the summer months. All the heat and air is going straight through the attic and out. Mrs. Carol White has tried to get them the help they need and has been met with difficult adversities like being arrested and tried in a court of law for her efforts. My sister was told by the one in charge that there is nothing we can do about it and that no one can make them do anything. In other words, they have no right to complain, no right to ask for work to be done, and definitely no right to ask to be moved to a better apartment. By the way, they do have some that are much better than the ones she lives in over in Clearlake.
"I am feeling as if I am still fighting for my civil rights," my sister says.
If one person can possess this much power, then change is never coming. As a result of feeling enslaved and beaten, my sister has had to spend time in the hospital for a mental breakdown as well as being bitten by the bugs.
Mr. Editor and the citizens of Blytheville, Ark., please find yourselves concerned with how your senior citizens are being treated in this part of the city and take action to make a change. I know there are more pressing and important things going on in the city, but I so need you to be aware of the way your mothers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles are living over in the Clearlake Senior apartment complex. Thank you for allowing me to address you with my concerns.