Many residents at a Buffalo apartment building are speaking out about housing conditions.
Noles Court residents allege there are restrictions on Black tenants’ lobby use, as well as intimidation tactics, and raising rent prices with little warning. Some residents complain police are called every time tenants hold a gathering.
There are no shaded areas, which means a lack of places to relax and socialize outdoors, said Maurice Jones, who has lived there about three years.
“We should have an outside area out here. We don't have that; you know what I'm saying?" he said. "We can't sit in the lobby because they have a problem with that, you know? But people are sitting in their rooms or their apartments. You can come out (of) your apartment, but you got nowhere to (go), nothing to do.”
Residents are calling for repairs to windows, heating and cooling systems, and to stop calling police for tenant gatherings. Corvus Property Intelligence, who owns the building, did not respond to a request for comment.
Despite packages being stolen and people entering the building to use drugs, there has been no effort to provide security in his three years living there, according to resident Robert White.
“They don't care about security for us, you know. If they did, they would, they would have put their feet down and got security for us. No, it's going on three years now, you know, saying," he said. "And every day we argue, we argued about, ‘what are you all going to do for the people?’ Like I said, all they want is our rent money, that’s all.”
The building has more than 100 units for tenants 55 and older, with just shy of 50 supportive units that use onsite Catholic Charities services. While Catholic Charities offers services there, the nonprofit is not involved in building management.
Terry Wideman has been a resident about three years. He says that after his window broke, it took more than a year for repairs to be made. That meant it had to be sealed shut or risk blowing open during inclement weather, Wideman said.
“In the summertime, I want to open up my windows to get some fresh air in, but I can't. Because if I open it up, I can't close it, and if I close it, it can't be opened up," he said. "And if you cook and you burn something, the smoke should be able to go out the windows. But if they lock and they can't be open, it sets off an alarm.”
