SANFORD, Fla. — The federal government announced it will demolish 100 of the worst public housing units in Sanford Tuesday.
Lake Monroe Terrace has stood along 3rd Street for nearly 40 years, but it will come down as soon as the tenants find new places to live. Some of the buildings will stay, but the worst ones have already been identified and will be demolished.
"Unacceptable. Unacceptable," Congresswoman Corrine Brown said.
Brown thinks of the living conditions inside the Sanford Housing Authority's most rundown complex is unfit, much of which will now be torn down.
"When the unit is unfit, nobody should live in it," HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims said.
Sims said HUD has approved the demolition of 100 apartments, and rental assistance for the people who live in them.
"I wanted to stay in the housing project, but they won't let me," resident Flora Tillman said.
Tillman thought her unit was in good enough shape, but it will go and she will, too. However, she says it's not easy to find another place to live. Tillman says some landlords won't take Section 8 housing vouchers.
"You just can't go and, bim, bam, thank you ma'am, and find one. You got to hunt here and hunt there, and people turn you down," she said.
The feds became involved after WFTV looked into the problems at Lake Monroe Terrace. HUD has provided $1.3 million to permanently relocate the residents and, once the buildings are gone, officials say they'll come up with plans to replace and maintain them.
"We've been through this before, and it's not going to happen again," Brown said.
There is no date set on when the buildings get the wrecking ball. Some residents have already moved.
WFTV
