LCG develops a plan to fix deplorable living conditions at Himbola apartments

Britt Lofaso
·2 min read

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)– The Lafayette Consolidated Government is promising to take action against Himbola Manor Apartments and several other housing complexes. This comes after a News 10 investigation into deplorable living conditions.

At a town hall meeting Thursday evening, more than 100 residents came to share their experience and hear what their elected officials are doing to fix the problem.

Residents at Himbola Apartments furious, been without gas utilities for almost a week

LCG does seem to have a plan, but it’s a process. In the meantime, people are still suffering.

“It’s really very frustrating only because I am pregnant,” Himbola resident Ashanti Dugas said.

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“I mean, the ceiling is caving in. I mean, they got mildew,” another Himbola resident, Riley Green Jr., added. “They got sick kids in there, you know, in the sea. They got elderly people. They got disabled people.”

“It’s just inhumane. Fix it. Help us,” Skylar McCoy Arcenaux, whose family member lives in West Park Apartments, said.

Mold, ceilings caving in, water and gas leaks, no hot water or AC, even toilets flushing into bathtubs: these are just some of the issues being reported at Himbola Manor apartments and others like West Park, Mayberry Point and more.

Some people’s doctors are even writing to the apartments managers, pleading with them to let the residents out of their lease out of serious health concerns.

“All of these promises that was made to people to help, to give them a quality of life, and it never happens,” Lafayette City Councilman for district one, Elroy Broussard, said.

Broussard organized the town hall meeting after getting overwhelming reports of deplorable living conditions. The Lafayette fire chief, interim police chief, and top LCG officials, including the city-parish attorney and CAO were present.

The pressing question was, what are city leaders doing to help?

“If you do it a regular maintenance, then it should not come to this. Fix the apartment and to where it’s livable. That’s all that owner should want. That’s all the residents want. That’s all I want,” Broussard told News 10.

LCG attorney Pat Ottinger explained that for Himbola, they’re giving the Texas property owners a chance to fix the issues. If they don’t, the owners will be going to court.

“I believe they’re willing to help. We presented them the problem, and now we just have to sit back and give them enough time to address it. So, I’m hopeful,” Arcenaux added.

Himbola Manor apartments does have another inspection on the books for next week. If things are not fixed soon, the property could be facing condemnation or adjudication.

City housing leaders said they are holding the property owners’ feet to the fire to fix the issues before taking any drastic steps to condemn any properties. That’s what they don’t want to do, as it will leave hundreds homeless.

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