Apartment Complex Residents Raise Concerns Over Conditions, Evictions

Published in Kent County News | Daniel Divilio | November 18, 2021

Residents of an apartment complex in Chestertown, led by community organizer John Queen, appeared before the mayor and council at the beginning of the month to raise questions about their treatment and the conditions of their homes.

Queen, president of the Bayside HOYAS youth organization, attended a Nov. 1 council meeting with fellow Brook Meadow Apartments residents and members of the Washington College Student Government Association and Black Student Union.

Among residents facing eviction, Queen has sought to raise awareness of alleged issues like inconsistencies, lack of transparency with the landlords, inconsistency in financial reporting requirements, unfair treatment of tenants, retaliation against those who raise issues and failure to address maintenance problems.

“So the only reason I came here tonight is because I don’t know where to take this type of problem to. So I’m trying to get some kind of guidance,” Queen told the mayor and council Nov. 1.

As part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness, the Black Union of Kent County, chaired by Queen, is partnering with the college’s SGA for a community dialogue event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. It will be held in Goldstein Hall, Room 100.

“Join Chestertown and Washington College community members to discuss issues facing our community. This week’s discussion will focus on discriminatory and racist housing practices in Federal Housing in Chestertown,” an announcement for the discussion states.

At the Nov. 1 mayor and council meeting, Queen said there is an “intimidation factor” at the complex and in the middle of a housing shortage in the area, residents facing eviction have no place to go.

The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation points to Rockville-based TM Associates as the owner of the Brook Meadow I and II Apartments on Flatland Road.

In calling the complex on Nov. 8, a week after Queen’s appearance, we were directed to contact a regional manager with TM Associates. A message left at the number provided was not returned.

Niara Wilson, who works at the Kent County Health Department, joined Queen at the mayor and council meeting. She spoke about issues she had as a resident of the complex like a leaking air conditioning unit that she said management refused to have fixed. The mother of a 2-year-old, she said she was facing eviction with 15 days notice.

“There’s no security here,” Wilson said in an interview with other residents also facing eviction about a week before joining Queen at the council meeting.

Queen provided some backstory at the council meeting, speaking about the announcement to complex residents last year that half of the apartments were set to be renovated starting Oct. 1, 2020. He told council members those units are still largely unoccupied.

He said that when his family was relocated due to the renovations, they were not told how long they would be living out of boxes at another complex, nor were they provided any documentation on new agreements.

“We were getting no paperwork about the process,” he told the council.

Queen said his family sought assistance from Mid-Shore Pro Bono, a local legal advocacy organization to help resolve that issue.

Other residents facing similar situations, some of whom attended the council meeting, did not want to speak publicly for fear of retaliation, Queen said.

Town Manager Bill Ingersoll spoke positively about the contractors he said were hired for the renovations.

“This is serious,” Ingersoll said. “I think that help is on the way with the condition of your units.”

“We’ll all be evicted by then, Bill,” Queen replied.

Ingersoll also spoke about his own involvement with federal housing, having helped build Calvert Heights on High Street. He said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has very detailed standards and requirements.

“You have tenant rights. They’re supposed to have a representative to take care of that,” Ingersoll said.

Ingersoll offered suggestions, including residents writing to their congressman, in this case, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st.

Queen asked members of the council to write Harris and Del. Jay Jacobs, R-36-Kent, on their behalf.

“We are treated like criminals. Everybody here works,” Queen said.

He said HUD and affordable housing are meant to be bridges to home ownership.

Ingersoll also said he would help connect anyone on the way to home ownership with resources that are available.

Councilmember Sam Shoge, who also serves as executive director of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, offered his support, including writing letters to Harris and U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both D-Md.

“Thank you for leading the charge on this. It’s so important for the community to actually come to these meetings and let us know. Because we had no idea. At the end fo the day we are all here because of you. You are our constituents. We work for you, but we are only capable of handling problems that we know exist,” Shoge said.