- October 2, 2018
Tanishia Goudy and her two children are leaving their home as a result of mold contamination. The family is also leaving behind their personal possessions for fear that they could also be contaminated with mold.
The family doesn’t want to leave, but they have to. Goudy said that the house is bad for the health of her family and that she desperately needs help.
“I need help and they’re not trying to help me and their program is to help mothers and families and we’re not getting the help we deserve,” Goudy said.
Tanishia and her two children say that she fears that water problems in their Section 8 house have now turned into the mold problems that the family is experiencing. She and both of her children suffer from asthma, a chronic respiratory condition, and she is worried that the health of her entire family is at risk. Those who have underlying respiratory illnesses are very susceptible to health complications as a result of mold exposure.
“I have to do what’s best for me and my children and I have to walk away from everything I just worked so hard to get,” Tanishia said.
The family moved into the Section 8 home, which is located on Prairie Street, after they had spent almost an entire year living at a homeless shelter. While Tanishia was elated to approval for Section 8 housing and thought that it was the answer to her prayers, she quickly learned that she and her family were about to embark on another nightmare.
Just a few months after moving into their new home, Tanishia said that plumbing problems started. The basement of the house was filled with water and sewage.
“I called the property management company for four days straight – and they didn’t send anybody out to help us,” Tanishia said.
The property owners do not live in the area, so Portfolio Property Management, located in Clinton Township, is the acting landlord. According to Tanishia, they replaced some of the pipes that were leaking, but now there’s another problem: mold.
“We have to sleep in the front room – we can’t sleep in our rooms anymore because the mold is overtaking everything in our house,” she said.
The property manager said that they are not sure if the problem is mold or mildew, but they are trying to arrange to have an inspection performed to find out. Tanishia also called Property Consultants in Dearborn, a company that handles Section 8 housing issues. They told her to clean the mold herself.
“… I can’t do that. I’m not licensed to do that. I need some help – can you send somebody to help me”, she said.
Fortunately, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries were able to get Tanishia and her children temporary housing, but they are back in a shelter; not exactly where she wanted to be.
Tanishia says that she has to start the entire process all over again and she doesn’t know what she’s going to do.
Mold inspection & Testing Detroit has vast experience performing mold tests in all types of properties in the Detroit area. We strongly encourage the owner of Tanishia’s Section 8 house to perform an extensive mold test and to arrange for the necessary remediation right away. To speak with a representative from MI&T, please call 313.312.9944.
