PORTLAND, Maine — Concerns over mold infestations in Portland Housing Authority apartments have escalated after images of mold-ridden living spaces circulated on social media this past week.
The focus was initially on the Bayside Apartments on Boyd Street, but it appears that the issue extends beyond this location.
The problem was brought to the attention of housing authorities back in November when the property manager at Bayside Apartments submitted photos depicting the severity of the mold issue.
The manager suggested relocating tenants to ensure their safety.
"Eight minutes after they submitted those photos, we said, 'Hey, let's get the family out of there, let's go ahead and move them.' From there, some things broke down internally, and at the end of the day, I bear the responsibility for things not happening at the housing authority," Brian Frost, executive director of Portland Housing Authority, said.
The executive director revealed that his office oversees more than a thousand apartments across Portland.
After successfully moving seven residents out of the Boyd Street apartments, other cases of mold infestations have come to light.
"We've had a couple of reports since doing a deep dive into this, but certainly not at the same level," Frost explained.
At another agency-run complex on Anderson Street, tenants have reported dealing with mold issues for over a year.
"Yesterday the maintenance man came, told me they are going to do some tests. They are thinking they are going to do it, but nobody does," Nasra Iimaan, a tenant, said.
Nasra, who has two daughters living in the apartment, emphasized that the mold is affecting her and her children's health, leading to anger and distress.
Portland Housing Authority has taken steps to address the crisis. Frost announced that they plan to request the city planning board's approval to demolish the Boyd Street complex and replace it with new apartments.
However, the problem is growing beyond this specific site.
"When we determine a resident needs to be transferred, we need to do it faster, and I don't have anything to add as to why we didn't. We failed at every level of the housing authority," Frost said.
As of now, Portland Housing Authority claims it has not received any notices of lawsuits or legal actions against it. Nevertheless, a tenant NEWS CENTER Maine spoke with revealed plans to file a lawsuit over health problems attributed to the mold found inside his Boyd Street apartment.