Residents of the Enclave Apartments in White Oak gathered Saturday to protest the cockroaches and often not-working elevators and utilities they claim management refuses to correct.
The board of the newly formed Progressive Enclave Tenant Association and other renters stood in the pouring rain, carrying signs and chanting “sick and tired.” They called their rally, “People Die at the Enclave.”
Residents listed a litany of complaints, including a lack of heat in the winter and cooling in the summer, nonworking fire alarms, broken laundry machines and homeless people living in hallways. Regardless of the problem, management is slow to respond, if they respond at all, the residents said.
About five months ago, residents of Enclave held a similar rally and cited the same complaints, which still have not been fixed, they said.
Councilmember Kristin Mink thanked the renters for their efforts. “This is people power,” she declared.
“The things that I have seen here are unbelievable. Bedbugs. Bedbug infestations that are so bad we have seen them crawling on the walls and the ceilings. We have seen them in bathrooms,” Mink said.
Montgomery County spends a “disproportionate amount of county resources just to come here and leverage citations against this building,” Mink said.
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin told the residents that everyone has the right to live in buildings that are secure and safe. “We’ve got laws here, and we are going to enforce those laws to make sure that every tenant gets to lead the kind of life owners are leading in their apartments and their condos.”
State Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins (D-20) talked about efforts in Annapolis to improve the rights of renters, including a Just Cause Eviction.
Landlords need a proper reason to evict a tenant, she said. Tenants can’t be kicked out for complaining or forming an association to improve conditions, she stressed.
The building, which is for sale, currently is managed by Hampshire Properties. A Florida company, Beach Hill Capital, is a potential buyer, according to Raskin.
The tenant association called on Montgomery County to exercise its right of first refusal and take control of the Enclave.
Residents of the enclave apartments in White Oak rallied Saturday afternoon for better living conditions @mymcmedia @CMKristinMink @JheanelleW @RepRaskin pic.twitter.com/pW8hJGFpRt
— suzanne pollak (@SuzannePollak) March 9, 2024
No one should live with mice, mold, bedbugs and broken elevators!! Renters deserve stronger protections and landlords need more accountability. https://t.co/gaP7UmP4Re
— Jheanelle Wilkins (@JheanelleW) March 9, 2024
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‘Enough is Enough’: Enclave Residents Tired of Rats, Mold, Lax Security, Broken Elevators
