Private companies that have contracted with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy & Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force to maintain military housing complexes are failing our military families, resulting in toxic mold injuries for some tenants. Instead of providing safe housing, these contractors appear to be cutting costs at the expense of our military service members and their families by failing to maintain and properly repair military housing.
Tenant Bill of Rights
If you are living in privatized military housing, you have a right to live in a safe, well-maintained home. In February, the Department of Defense implemented the Tenant Bill of Rights for privatized housing.
It provides tenants with 18 rights including the right to live in a home that meets applicable health and environmental standards; the right to working fixtures, appliance and utilities; and the right to prompt and professional maintenance and repairs, to name a few.
Lawsuit Filed
Nine military families filed a lawsuit against their privatized housing landlord in Ford Hood, Texas over unsafe conditions, alleging their landlord failed to repair their dilapidated and mold-infested housing that have caused them to experience symptoms of toxic mold exposure including asthma, pneumonia, ear infections, toxic encephalopathy, severe nosebleeds, headaches, skin rashes, and mental illnesses. and damaging their belongings, according to the Military Times.
The lawsuit was filed last month in federal court in San Antonio against Fort Hood Family Housing LP, FHFH Inc., and Lend Lease US Public Partnerships LLC, its parent company. Fort Hood Family Housing manages approximately 5,617 homes in Fort Hood.
Toxic Mold
The lawsuit alleges the homes in question are mold-infested, have mold-related damage, and are in a state of “extreme deterioration,” rendering them unsafe for human habitation. The suit further contends that mold is pervasive, the HVAC systems leak and flood the homes and then circulate toxic airborne mold. The families allege the landlord did not make reasonable repairs and that it fraudulently concealed the pervasive mold prior to their moving in.
Other Lawsuits
The lawsuit filed against the Fort Hood landlord comes on the heels of a spate of other suits filed against privatized military housing companies nationwide over substandard housing.
If you or a loved one are living in privatized military housing that you believe is unsafe and has caused you and your family harm, such as toxic mold injuries, consider contacting us for a complimentary consultation.
