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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today met with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Councilman Garrett Dennis during a visit to Washington to discuss ongoing problems at the Eureka Garden Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing complex in Jacksonville, FL.
After the meeting, Rubio issued the following statement:
“I have been involved in calling for accountability on the issues at Eureka Garden since they first came to light. After months of repairs and very little progress, it is clear to me, Mayor Curry and Councilman Dennis that HUD must examine its faulty inspection process. What is happening in Jacksonville has unearthed a problem that must be resolved, and we remain committed to protecting the health and safety of residents living at these taxpayer-funded facilities.
“Both Mayor Curry and Councilman Dennis have been leading voices for the residents of Eureka Garden. From listening to tenants’ complaints when the situation at the complex began, to pushing for answers and solutions as knowledge of the scope of these conditions spread beyond Eureka Garden, they have been advocates for the people of Jacksonville. I want to thank them for their continuing efforts to improve living conditions on these federally certified facilities.”
A photo of the meeting is available below and can be credited to the office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.
Rubio’s office first got involved in the investigation of health and safety conditions over five months ago, following reports of code violations at the Westside complex. An October 2015 HUD inspection found deficiencies in at least 340 of the 400 units, yet just three months earlier in July 2015, HUD gave Eureka Garden Apartments a passing score of an 85 out of 100 in its Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspection. Many repairs have been made to the property over the past several months, but the complex still received a low score of a 62 out of 100 in a March 2016 inspection.
Rubio has asked HUD Secretary Julián Castro to reform the agency’s inspection process so that problems can be identified sooner, and to expand the role of state and local partners to ensure greater accountability of HUD-certified facilities. He also highlighted ongoing problems at Eureka Garden last week in a Senate floor speech.