Neighbors at a housing complex on Vandalia Avenue say they’ve been living with piles of garbage and recycling bags stacked outside their doors for years, creating foul odors, eating up parking spaces and even blocking fire hydrants.

“When I’m in my room, I can smell the garbage. I have to leave my windows open a half millimeter because the smell is just that atrocious,” said tenant Danielle Roper, who has lived at the complex since 2019.

Roper said trash is left out days before pickup and that recycling often mixes with regular garbage. Living on the first floor makes the smell worse, she added.

“It’s really not something that I want to continue to live with,” Roper said.

Residents say the heaps don’t just look bad — they also pose safety risks.

“In case of an emergency, if the fire department needs the hydrant, they can’t use it because of the garbage,” said another tenant, Mike.

Roper said she has filed 311 complaints and contacted both the Department of Sanitation and the property manager.

She reached out to News 12 seeking help to draw attention to the issue so “no one has to go through this wherever they live in affordable housing.”

Neighbors want the trash moved to a different part of the street or into dumpsters with lids to deter rodents, free up parking and keep hydrants clear.

“We have countless disabled neighbors here. A lot of the time it’s hard for Access-A-Ride to park and pick them up,” Roper said.

The Department of Sanitation told News 12 the property has received four summonses this year for cleanliness violations. The agency said it visited the complex after our inquiry and told managers they must bring trash and recycling back inside until the evening before collection day, and that placing garbage near hydrants is hazardous.

The department said it will continue to monitor the location to ensure compliance with the law and a safe, clean environment for residents.