Tenants in the Thames River Apartments in New London learned more about their fate Thursday, and how quickly they'll have to move out of the properties.
Several of the apartments are plagued by roaches, mice and holes in the structure.
"I've been here since 2007 to 2008. It hasn't gotten any better," said Angie Franceschi.
Inside her apartment, where she houses four kids, Franceschi faces crumbling walls and roaches feeding in the kitchen.
Thursday, in a packed house, she learned more about the New London Housing Authority Board of Commissioners' plan to move her and her family out, along with the 123 other families in the Thames River Apartments.
Residents would eventually get U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) vouchers to move elsewhere.
"My main concern is the expiration on the vouchers. Like, how long do we have to look for somewhere to go," Franceschi said.
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That was a main concern of most of the residents in the room. Another, whether their children would be forced to change schools.
The board's chair, Betsy Gibson, and a city representative used the day to field questions and concerns. They told tenants it could be at least a year before they even see those vouchers since it would take months just to fill out the application.
"l have to see it to believe it," said Shayla Burgos, who lives in one of the Crystal Avenue apartments and wants to leave.
Her preschooler has asthma and the living conditions are harmful, Burgos said.
But according to some residents, just cleaning up could make all the difference. They said some tenants dirty up the property just minutes after it's cleaned, and because of that destructiveness, they shouldn't be forced to leave their home and their neighbors.
The board and the city will help tenants with Section 8 applications, according to Gibson.
"We can talk to landlords, start getting them on board, start letting them know what has to happen," she said.
The biggest concern now is a boiler system at the housing complex that's renting for $15,000 a month. It isn't working right.
Tenants said hot water is limited, which is forcing them to shower after midnight or very early in the morning.
"If it was to happen that there was no heat and no hot water, and HUD was to come in and say, 'this building has to be closed right now,' it would probably break the treasury of New London," Gibson said.
