Photo not that of the actual clients
“Shameka,” a single mother of three young children, had been a tenant in her subsidized housing unit for over two years when her apartment’s air conditioner developed a problem that caused a build-up of moisture and a consequent mold infestation. Shameka’s 2-year-old twins suffer from disabling bronchial asthma, which the conditions in the apartment were exacerbating, causing potentially life-threatening symptoms. Their treating physician documented the medical need to address the problem, and Shameka made numerous oral and written requests to her landlord to remediate the moisture and mold or allow her to a transfer to another apartment in the building. When her landlord failed to do either, Shemeka turned to JALA. Attorney Suzanne Garrow in JALA’s Housing Unit sent the landlord the doctor’s letters along with a formal request for an accommodation. After the landlord failed to respond for months, Garrow filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Shameka’s behalf, which led to a settlement. The conditions in the home have since been fixed, the twins’ symptoms have subsided, and Shameka and her children remain safely and stably housed.
