‘We Can’t Live Like This,’ Brooklyn Park Apartment Tenants Speak Out About Living Conditions
Huntington Place Apartments Have a Long History of Challenges That Still Remain
Tenants at the Huntington Place Apartments in Brooklyn Park are speaking out about what they say are dangerous living conditions.
Tenants took CCX News inside their units where they say the conditions are becoming almost uninhabitable.
“We got mold, we got mildew, we got mice,” tenant Victoria Kates said.
Tenant Rachel Noah showed CCX News the giant hole in her bathroom ceiling that she says hasn’t been fixed despite her multiple attempts at contacting the maintenance line.
“The pipes were leaking,” Noah said.
A nonprofit organization called Aeon acquired the Huntington Place in January of 2020.
Aeon officials wouldn’t go on camera but say the building has a long history of challenges.
In a statement to CCX News, the nonprofit says it received $5 million from the city of Brooklyn Park to make updates to the building. So far, $1.7 million has been spent on installing security cameras, upgrading door locks and creating community spaces.
Inside the building, however, is a different story.
“I would love to know why things don’t get repaired and things are neglected,” said Huntington Place resident Terrence Young.
“I have water damage in my bathroom right now and I’ve reported it, I’ve done a list of things to fix, still no one has come to fix anything,” Young said.
Another tenant who didn’t want to be identified, pointed to the large hole in her apartment ceiling.
“They’ve sent several people to come look at it, nobody could fix it, they were going to make an appointment but nothing gets done around here,” the tenant said.
Aeon officials tell CCX News the funds are disbursed as work is completed.
They say they have 336 open maintenance requests.
“We’ve been waiting on AC for about a year, it was like towards the end of the summer and they said that we’d have to wait until next year,” Noah said.
Huntington is the second-largest multi-family housing property in the state. Despite that, tenants inside say they feel like their voices aren’t being heard.
“If I send in a work order or try to call you and I get no response, that’s being ignored,” Young said about trying to reach Aeon building managers.
Brooklyn Park city officials didn’t go on camera but say while they helped fund Aeon, it’s on building owners to prioritize how funds are utilized.
City officials say inspections are done twice a year for common spaces and every three years for each unit, but residents have the option to call the city and request an inspection.
CCX News Reporter Sarah Thamer asked tenants if they think residents are doing their part to keep conditions safe in this building:
“For the most part, but also I’m still waiting on management to take accountability for the part that they should be doing that they’ve been promising to be doing,” Noah said.
Brooklyn Park officials say the city follows up on all complaints about property maintenance issues at apartment buildings or within apartment units to ensure compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code. The City needs specific information about the property maintenance issue in order to follow up (i.e., unit number or specific location of code violation within a common area). Residents can submit complaints by email, phone or online at:
BPLicense@BrooklynPark.Org
(763) 493-8182
https://www.brooklynpark.org/report-an-issue/
Resources for renters:
Renter Resources: www.brooklynpark.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Magnet_Updated-August-2021.pdf
Renting: https://www.brooklynpark.org/housing/renting/
About rental inspections: https://www.brooklynpark.org/permits-and-licenses/business-licenses/rental-property-inspections/
