NEW GLASGOW, N.S. – “Do I ever have a story for you,” Caroline Bowden calls out from a shared balcony at the Woodbine Crest seniors apartment complex.
She was standing on a step-stool near a railing and using a mop to clean under the balcony covering.
Later, she pointed out the unkempt hallway carpet in the 15-unit structure, apartment doors with grime and dirt on them, a wall damaged by someone moving furniture in well over a year ago, dust piling up on fixtures, dead insects inside light fixtures in the hall.
“I’ve lived here for five years and these walls have never been painted,” says Bowden, who grew up in New Glasgow but lived away for years before returning home to get married in 2013 (her husband died two years ago).
The three-building Woodbine Crest complex, located on New Glasgow’s east side, is operated by Eastern Mainland Housing Authority (EMHA) and on July 10, a group of residents met with a representative of EMHA to air their grievances.
“See this? The walls need to be done, the carpeting need to be done. I took him out on to the balcony to show him what needs cleaning and he said, ‘that won’t get done’.
“They’re supposed to have a guy come in every week and vacuum, but we see him maybe once a month or every two months. Government cutbacks, they tell us.”
Another tenant who didn’t want her name used in this article wiped her index finger across a small fixture in a hallway and held up the finger to demonstrate the amount of dust she picked up.”
“The only walls that have been wiped down on this floor are the walls I’ve done myself,” she said. “When someone comes to visit me, I’d like to be able to buzz them in without being embarrassed by the building.”
On Thursday, Bowden cleaned windows and railings around the building, and wiped down the mailboxes near the entrance to the building.
“They usually get students to paint and clean, but they don’t do that at all now,” says Bowden, standing near the Frederick Street entrance way to her building.
“If we don’t speak up, nothing’s going to get done. These curtains haven’t been washed in five years. I’m scared to wash them – I’m scared they’ll fall apart.”
The anonymous tenant said she’s concerned that low-income non-seniors might someday move into the building.
“When I retired, I moved into a senior’s building so I wouldn’t have to worry about people partying and stuff, and now they’re telling us it’s no longer a senior’s building.”
Heather Fairbairn, spokesperson with the Eastern Mainland Housing Authority, said the organization takes the concerns of residents “very seriously” and attempts to address issues in a timely manner.
“Work orders have been issued to address complaints received about ground work, exterior maintenance and the appearance of common areas at Woodbine Crest,” she wrote in an email to The News.
“We are checking with staff on the progress of that work. Housing authority staff have regularly scheduled visits to our properties where residents have the opportunity to pass along any maintenance or other concerns. If a resident is unsatisfied or the issue persists, they should contact their property manager for assistance.”
