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Riviera Beach Environmental Report Finds Mold, Water Damage At Stonybrook Apartments

City of Riviera Beach
Environmental assessment report commissioned by the City of Riviera Beach finds mold, visible water damage in a majority of the inspected units at Stonybrook.

A recent environmental report of the troubled Stonybrook Aprtments in Riviera Beach found a majority of the units had mold and water damage.

The City of Riviera Beach recently hired a company to conduct the assessment. Families living at Stonybrook have complained that an ongoing problem with mold in their bathrooms and air conditioning closets is making them sick. 

Environmental inspectors looked at a sampling of 37 units. According to the report, more than half had visible mold and water damage.

Read more: Parents Fear Mold, Asbestos At Stonybrook Apartments Are Making Their Children Sick

Stonybrook Apartments is managed by Millennia Housing, which is currently attempting to purchase the 216-unit complex from its current owner Global Ministries Foundation.

Millennia has plans to rehab all of the units at Stonybrook as part of a $13 million renovation project if it successfully buys the property, but tenants say significant fixes need to happen to the federally subsidized apartments immediately.

Families at the complex formed a tenant union and last month sued the City of Riviera Beach, Millennia and Global Ministries Foundation to address the environmental concerns at Stonybrook.

The lawsuit states what’s happening at Stonybrook is “a very real public health emergency” and is asking to have the people living there relocated.

Read more: Riviera Beach Council Vote Could Clear Way For The Sale Of Troubled Stonybrook Apartments

Several children and adults at the Stonybrook Apartments have reported issues with breathing that range from discomfort to hospital stays.

City officials confirmed some tenants were relocated temporarily to hotels, but it’s unclear how many. Thirty-six apartments were condemned by the city as unlivable for humans.

In the environmental assessment report, inspectors wrote, reported leaks in tenant’s apartments have gone unaddressed by the property’s manager.

“The lack of timely response to such leaks has resulted in a significant number [of] the observed water damage and mold growths in the subject units, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and HVAC closets.”

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