TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Residents at the Sedona Springs apartment complex on Tucson’s east side are voicing concerns over living conditions and safety issues. Complaints include pest infestations, malfunctioning HVAC systems, and structural hazards.
Britnee Harrison, a current resident, moved to Sedona Springs after facing black mold at her previous apartment, where she lived with her two children. Although she was initially optimistic about her new home, the experience quickly turned sour.
“Everything seemed promising. They got me a good deal,” said Britnee. However, she reported spending the entire winter without heat. “I almost hurt my family by trying to warm my house up with my stove.”
Britnee says the complex repaired the heat after her third request, but the system still didn’t work. She was given a portable heater in the meantime, which helped but she wonders why she wasn't given one upon the initial request.
Donna Darnell, whose daughter recently moved into the complex on March 24th, was shocked to discover roaches in the kitchen upon arrival.
“We literally walked in the door, walked toward the kitchen. They said, ‘here’s your fridge.’ I open it up and I’m like, holy crud, there’s a dead roach,” Donna recalled.
Structural concerns also weigh heavily on residents like Christina Boring, who described issues with rotting floorboards on her second-floor porch.
“It took about a month and a half to two months to fix my rotted porch. I didn’t want to fall,” said Christina. “Now, after they fixed it, the boards are starting to rot again and come loose.”
Christina also says she went an entire summer of 2022 without working air conditioning, relying on fans to cool her.
Britnee also talked about the floorboards and the sense of feeling unsafe. “My daughter doesn’t want to step outside the house half the time because she thinks she’s going to fall through the floor.”
Donna’s daughter, Roxie, said she feared that the floorboards situated above her apartment would come crashing down.
Residents also addressed concerns with security, claiming that homeless individuals have threatened them. They wished the property had better security to manage trespassers.
In response to these complaints, Sedona Springs’ area manager, Chelsea Alamango, has committed to addressing the problems. Having taken over the role two months ago, she emphasized her focus on improving living conditions.
“I want them to feel comfortable coming and saying, ‘Hey, this is what’s happening,’ so I can take care of it,” Chelsea said.
She noted that efforts are already underway to replace deteriorating floorboards, starting with the most severe cases.
“These are older properties that we have and I wish they were done already,” she said. “But I can only fix it now and we’re actively doing it. We’re not putting it on the back burner. It’s something that is on the front of our list.”
Chelsea also addressed the roach infestations, explaining that exterminators are on-site weekly, but emphasized the importance of resident communication.
“Especially with roaches, we have the exterminator every single week, but we have to know,” she said. “I encourage people, come tell me. Because the only way we can make things better and change is talking to me.”
Chelsea also says the property recently hired a new security company she feels will be a better fit for the complex.
Britnee says her overall hope is for the property’s management to make due on their promises.
“I would like them to just keep their word,” she said. “If you don’t keep your word, I can’t trust you. And if I can’t trust you, I can’t live on your property.”
Alamango has invited KGUN 9 to follow up in a few months to monitor progress. KGUN 9 will continue to provide updates on this developing story.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
