Outside conditions of the now-condemned Chelsea Gardens apartment complex in College Park. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
Residents of a condemned apartment complex in College Park will be forced to leave by the end of the day on Saturday, May 31.
Just off Godby Road, the city’s Chelsea Gardens apartment complex was condemned over a month ago. City officials said issues like code complaints and violence were among the reasons they went through with a condemnation despite tenants still living there.
One resident, Carolyn Huitt, is still grappling with finding another place to go.
“It’s upsetting, and I have a family. Where are we going? What are we supposed to do?” Huitt said. “It hasn’t been a good experience living here, honest to God, I’ve tried to get from over here.”
Huitt is an elderly Black woman on a fixed income. She says she’s lived in the two-bedroom apartment for nine years.
Nine-year Chelsea Gardens resident, Carolyn Huitt, flips through a series of code and maintenance requests she’s kept over the years. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
“I’ve called apartment complexes. They want first month, last month, application fee, all that. I haven’t got it. I honestly don’t have that,” she said. “I feel like I’m stuck here. I really do. I feel stuck.”
From the outside, Huitt’s unit is upstairs and overlooks a bed of scattered, old appliances like refrigerators, bathtubs, and water heaters.
Long green dumpsters line parts of the complex. At least four sit right outside Huitt’s place, along with gutted apartment materials.
Heading inside, Huitt’s door has a piece of tape with her unit number. Her living room is nicely decorated with lamps and an abstract rug over the worn carpet. Dingy and water-damaged walls depress the unit.
“The water comes out of the vent. Dishwasher doesn’t work,” Huitt said. “And when we wash, water comes down the walls.”
The kitchen and the downstairs bathroom have peeling paint and discoloration. These areas also have remnants of mold and infestations.
Conditions of Chelsea Gardens tenant Carolyn Huitt’s downstairs bathroom and walls. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
“When I first moved in, I saw roaches coming underneath the patio door. I’m like, ‘OK, so it’s gonna be a roach problem,’” Huitt said. “I kid you not, we had a roach infestation. We had a bed bug infestation. We had a gnat infestation.”
Upstairs, the unit has more carpet that’s lifting from the floor. The linoleum-lined bathroom has dark colored mold and patches.
Huitt’s daughter, Adriane Huitt, lives in the apartment with her, plus three other family members. She says it’s hard to see her mom dealing with the city’s deadline with no assistance.
“I’m gonna be her voice no matter what. It doesn’t matter. She’s a good tenant, you know, she’s a good tenant. And for them to do the thing they’re doing, it’s not fair to her. It’s not fair to her at all,” Huitt said.
Carolyn Huitt says the uncertainty of the matter bothers her. With no word from College Park officials, she’s trying to balance her frustrations and faith as the deadline approaches.
“I just find it hard, they aren’t responding to us. They aren’t helping us. They haven’t done anything for us, the people you know,” Huitt said.
A spokesperson for College Park told WABE that the city will release a statement on the matter soon.
As of now, at least 20 tenants still live in Chelsea Gardens. Some say they are unsure of what to expect during the hours before the deadline, which is set for 11:59 pm on Saturday.
