MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tenants at a Frayser apartment complex say they’ve gone days without water, and nothing is being done.
Corning Village Apartments residents have said they have had many health concerns this year, but three days without running water is their latest. Resident Otisha Sykes called the problem “terrible.”
“I’ve got a newborn baby in the house.” Sykes said. “I can’t make his bottles or nothing because the water’s been off.”
Sykes said she reached out to management, and she said they told her “they’re working on it. That’s all.”
When WREG was at the property, management sent a security guard to keep reporters from talking to them.
Corning Village management later sent a statement saying the water was only off for a few hours while some repairs were being done to fix an underground water leak. All tenants had water, they said Friday evening.
The city also said they’d had at least one complaint regarding the water and had sent city code inspectors to the apartments Friday evening.
A city representative sent a statement saying: “The water at the entire complex has been back on since Wednesday, November 5. of this week. An inspection by Code Enforcement was conducted to confirm validity of statement and the current condition on the premises as well as copies of invoices provided to document that the work completed.”
But at least six residents told us otherwise Friday.
Earlier this year, WREG reported tenants claimed they hadn’t had hot water for months. Records show tenants have also complained to the city this year about rodents and mold.
Since 2012, the state’s inspected the complex three times. The scores have gone down each time but have still been passing.
“Corning Village is not the place to stay at,” Sykes said. “It’s just not it.”
Other residents at the complex would only talk with WREG off-camera in fears of retaliation. A tenant told us earlier this year she was evicted without any explanation after speaking to us about problems there.
“Y’all would rather focus on getting people out and throwing their furniture out than fixing the water,” that tenant said. “That’s what you’re worried about. You’re worried about that instead of what’s going on.”
Residents said they deserve livable conditions.
We also reached out to HUD and environmental court for this story. We are waiting for responses.
If you have similar problems at your apartment, make sure to report it to 311.
