Mold, Mildew and Mysterious Rash in Local Neighborhood

March 21, 2007

Posted By: Kendrick

CBS 47 ville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The health department will be stepping in to

help hundreds of local families who said they live in a neighborhood

where mold, mildew, erosion and a mysterious rash is sweeping

through.

The Fairway Oaks neighborhood, built by Habijax, is only five years

old, and some of the residents think their American dream has turned

into a nightmare.

" When I look at the cracks in my concrete slab, when I see the mold

and mildew, when I see the children in my community stricken with

the skin rash as well as the elderly, it doesn't paint a pretty

picture, " said Shirley Dempsey, who lives in the neighborhood.

The skin rash has become such a problem in the area that the

ville Area Legal Aid (JALA) is stepping in to help neighbors

figure out what is making some of them sick. JALA is a non-profit

corporation that provides civil legal assistance to people with low

income.

" My main goal is to make sure home owners are protected and they

aren't living in fear of what's happening around them, " April

Charney, who works with JALA, said.

The health department will be going out to the neighborhood next

Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with free testing to try and

figure out what is causing the rashes, which is a glimmer of hope

for residents. Workers will be at the Fairway Oaks leasing office.

They will also go back out there next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1

p.m.

The people at Habijax said they just heard about the rashes, but

said the soil tests show that the property is safe. The organization

also insists that structural problems in the homes are an exception,

not an issue that happens all the time.

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