Demanding Better Living Conditions

Residents in east Baltimore County, bewildered by the fact that their substandard, expiring-use apartment complex has passed so many inspections, organize to put their rents in escrow until improvements are made.

September 1, 2003, 5am PDT | Connie Chung

"A group of residents at the embattled Kingsley Park housing complex in eastern Baltimore County met yesterday to form a tenant association while officials and the corporate landlord wrestle over the future of the property." Residents, who have faced everything from a collapsing roof to roaches in baby cribs, plan to "place rent payments in escrow to demand quicker and better repairs on their World War II-era apartments....A majority of the apartments have no air conditioning or window screens and get extremely hot in summer. During the winter, residents said they turn on their ovens for warmth because of malfunctioning heating systems." By modest estimates, Landex, the corporate landlord "receives about $2.3 million annually through subsidized housing."

Thanks to Connie Chung

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Residents unite for better living conditions

Published on Friday, August 29, 2003 in The Baltimore Sun