SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Tenants of the Springfield Garden Apartments and members of Neighbor to Neighbor held a protest to bring attention to unbearable living conditions at the apartments.

Residents on Friday are firmly saying that enough is enough and that for far too long there has not been any action to improve the quality of living.

Broken ceiling panels, water damage, piles of trash, mold, mice and roaches infesting homes are just some of the issues facing residents.

“I haven’t found anyone that has good things to say about like them coming to fix things. There’s mold. I have an air quality test in my house and there’s black mold like what closed down our courthouse is in my bathroom,” Springfield Gardens resident Anna Smith told 22News.

This is the reality for many of the residents at Springfield Garden Apartments. Residents have told 22News that they no longer wish to be silenced and they are speaking out to improve
their living conditions.

“We don’t know what else to do to make someone help us get the stuff done we just want safe housing,” expressed Smith.

The apartments are owned by real estate firm Schweb Partners and they allegedly own over 15 hundred units in the city of Springfield. Residents are saying that the property manager and the firm have been unresponsive, and have had to face off in court with residents.

Katie Talbot, the Lead Organizer for Western Mass Neighbor to Neighbor said, “The last few months tenants have been up in a rage about the conditions at Springfield Gardens and it’s just nothing is getting fixed.”

One tenant informed 22News that they are worried about the colder weather ahead, because last winter she was facing problems with heat and electricity, and had to sleep in a hotel 14 times just to stay warm.

“They think our code enforcement is a joke. They think us tenants are jokes. They think that the court system is a joke. It’s a problem and somebody needs to say enough is enough.”

22News reached out to the property manager from Springfield Garden Apartments and we have not received a response.