'I just want to feel safe.' Gowanus NYCHA tenant begs for repairs to broke wall bringing rain, roaches and mold into her unit
Stella Perry says her home is plagued by cracked walls, peeling paint and what appears to be mold, creating a constant musty odor.
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New York City Housing Authority resident Stella Perry is pleading for relief, saying worsening conditions in her apartment at 417 Baltic St. in Gowanus have made her life a nightmare.
Perry says her home is plagued by cracked walls, peeling paint and what appears to be mold, creating a constant musty odor. She says the problem worsens when it rains, with water leaking through the walls and spreading dampness throughout her apartment.
"The smell is so bad I have to spray the air refreshener all over, even in other rooms" Perry said, walking around her home, where every surface now has an automatic air refreshener spraying every few minutes to combat the smell.
She says her bedroom wall, which sits directly next to her bed, is one of the worst affected areas.
"I now sleep on the couch or avoid it because I cannot breathe this and sleep through the night," she said.
She says the deteriorating conditions are taking a toll on her health.
"I'm getting sick, and I don't like to get sick because I'm going to end up in the hospital," Perry said. "I want to live my life."
Beyond the leaks, Perry says her apartment has also become infested with roaches, large bugs and even rats She believes they are getting in through the cracks.
News 12 cameras observed what appeared to be animal droppings coming from the wall during our interview.
She claims NYCHA workers only repaint the wall instead of fixing the source of the problem, leaving the leak to return again and again.
"I get a lot of bugs coming through, big bugs and rats," Perry said. "I want to live in another apartment, a nice apartment, so I don’t have to be afraid."
In a statement to News 12, NYCHA said it visited Perry’s unit and plans to address her concerns but did not indicate whether her living conditions are severe enough to warrant relocation.
