Her apartment might have put her son’s health at risk. But ‘I have nowhere else to go.’

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December 1st, 2022

Louana Joseph and her daughter, Marlie, outside their former apartment complex in southwestern Atlanta. Joseph moved out of the unit because she suspects the gray and brown splotches that were spreading through the apartment were mold. After rents soared during the pandemic, some families were forced to live in substandard housing, which increased their risk for health problems such as asthma and lead poisoning. (Andy Miller/KHN)

This story was provided by WABE content partner Kaiser Health News.

When Louana Joseph’s son had a seizure because of an upper respiratory infection in July, she abandoned the apartment her family had called home for nearly three years.

She suspected the gray and brown splotches spreading through the apartment were mold and had caused her son’s illness. Mold can trigger and exacerbate lung diseases such as asthma and has been linked to upper respiratory tract conditions.

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