TOLEDO, Ohio — WTOL 11 has been following the progress of the living conditions at the Ashland Manor apartments in central Toledo.
Residents had complaints about roaches and trash building up and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department gave the complex 72 hours to fix the public health issues.
The problem was fixed by that deadline, but how are the conditions about a week later?
Toledo City Council member Vanice Williams, who represents the district that Ashland Manor is located in, said she got calls from residents saying some of the problems that were fixed had returned. So, she asked the city's code compliance officials to review the building.
"We actually did hear from some residents today that the trash was piling back up and also that the elevator was not working," Williams said after a city council meeting on Wednesday. "There was someone there cleaning the trash out today and also the elevator is working, it's running slow. But that's not enough because we don't want it to get back to where it was."
Multiple residents told WTOL 11 that conditions have been better since last week when the apartment complex was cleaned up.
Resident Frank Dailey said trash rooms that had previously been overflowing with garbage were more manageable for tenants after the clean-up.
Dailey has lived at Ashland Manor for 18 years and used to be a security guard at the building, which is a position he hopes management brings back.
"When I was a security guard here, when you come in you had to have ID at that desk," he said.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz will meet with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides funding for Ashland Manor, in Washington D.C. on Thursday to discuss problem rental properties in the city.
Resident Tyree Geeway hopes the mayor finds a solution for people who live in problem properties, like providing housing vouchers.
"I think that would be better than having to deal with slumlords and people that don't want to do their job," Geeway said.
Williams said she plans to keep checking in on Ashland Manor to ensure conditions stay healthy and livable.
"As long as I'm in office, I will definitely make sure that I follow up consistently to make sure people are taken care of," she said.