NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Tenants of the Hillside Pointe Apartments in North Little Rock said that they're living in a nightmare— from reported mold to water issues.
“It's exhausting. It's really tiring,” said resident Kristina Kinsey.
Kristina Kinsey is a mom of five, and her family has been living at the Hillside Pointe Apartments for a little over a year now.
But she said there's been one problem after another.
“So, the bathroom, my wall fell in, we had to deal with that for six months,” explained Kinsey. “I had to keep covering it with trash bags, they didn't give us any of the supplies to cover it or, or deal with it.”
The most recent problem has been her sink. She said that she hasn't been able to use it in three months— leading her to use her bathtub to wash dishes.
“They keep sending maintenance out, but no one certified no certified plumbers will come out,” said Kinsey.
Right across the street from Kinsey is where Daffany Payne, a mom of seven, used to live. She said that she had similar problems as well.
“I've had black mold behind my counter,” explained Payne. “Unable to use my kitchen for a whole entire year.”
Payne added that it left her feeling helpless.
“I still right now could cry because of what I had to go through before I could get out of this apartment,” said Payne.
Although Payne was able to move, she said that problems from this home seem to have followed her.
“They sent me a bill for $4,000 saying that I owe them for the repairs that they had to do to their place,” explained Payne tearfully.
Property owners Knight Development sent the following statement to THV11:
“As owners, we have been frustrated and disappointed in the management of the North Little Rock Housing Authority (NLRHA) portfolio. We entrusted it to the care of two reputable management companies, who have consecutively failed to meet their obligations to us and our residents. Knight Development takes our commitment to our residents and their feedback seriously. Therefore, rather than engaging another third-party property management company, we have determined that the best course of action is to manage the properties directly through our sister company, M&T Property Management.
This month, M&T began acting as owner representative. In short order, M&T has begun conducting inspections, triaging maintenance issues, and assessing staffing needs. Over the coming months, we are confident our residents will notice an appreciable difference in the visibility and quality of management, including the responsiveness to work orders. We look forward to a return of resident trust and satisfaction.”
Meanwhile, residents are hoping that their problems will be fixed soon.
“I have to have hope because I’m the leader of my family. So being a single mom, you have to keep that hope regardless,” said Kinsey.