DETROIT – Trash build-up has been a major issue for people living in an apartment complex on Detroit’s west side.
We’re talking about trash at the State Fair Apartments on W. State Fair Avenue.
People were fed up with not being able to throw out trash because of a clogged trash chute. That’s until we got involved.
“Yeah, it’s some trash still up there,” said senior resident Velma Cornelius.
Velma’s 69th birthday was Monday (Jan. 13), and she said she only wanted to throw away her garbage as a present.
“For one, it’s a fire hazard, and they’re supposed to always have safety first,” Cornelius said.
Cornelius says the 12-story building’s trash shoot has been filled to the top for days now, and there is no way to throw out trash from the inside on nearly every floor.
If you look at photos taken by a resident just this morning, she and her son, Eric Cornelius, are constantly worried about the worst happening.
“Somebody clumsy or crazy might wanna spark a cigarette or something. It might go off to spark a fire. Stuff like that, that’s a fire hazard,” said Eric.
Unfortunately, the two haven’t received much help from management as the dumpsters outside are also packed to the top.
“It’s disgusting,” said another resident.
Yet management told me there was no problem. That’s until we approached them about the photos taken Monday morning.
Local 4 later received a statement from the executive director of the Detroit Housing Commission, the company that owns the property, saying they’d taken care of the problem after our phone calls.
“Recently, there has been a higher-than-usual amount of bulk trash due to unit renovations and housekeeping inspections. However, trash is being picked up on its regular schedule, and currently, there is no accumulated trash at the site.”
Detroit Housing Commission
The Detroit Housing Commission apologizes to all residents who have had to deal with this issue.