Never underestimate what a thief will do to take advantage of someone’s misfortune.
Durham Housing Authority chief executive director Anthony Scott warned residents that scammers are trying to cash in on the tragic circumstances that have temporarily displaced 270 families from McDougald Terrace.
The residents relocated from the complex last week following reports of gas leaks and carbon monoxide exposure are staying at area hotels while DHA continues to evaluate the complex's health and safety issues. So far, over 80 units were found to have elevated CO-levels.
The public housing complex—built in 1953—was beset by one crisis after another before a massive gas leak led to the evacuation of residents from their homes on January 3.
“It was urgent enough for us to take immediate action,” Scott said.
Three infants from the complex have died in or near the complex since November, however, the state medical examiner’s office ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause.
But the residents—who have endured a toxic mix of mold, lead paint and potentially contaminated water from pervasive sewage issues—want answers.
At a press conference Friday, Scott warned of “several fraudulent” GoFundMe accounts established to “help” residents. The bogus accounts have been identified by the NC State Attorney General’s Office, Scott said.
“There’s only one that’s been approved,” Scott said. “The Good Neighbor Fund [coordinated by McDougald Terrace resident council president Ashley Canady], is the only acceptable account.”
The Salvation Army and the United Way of the Greater Triangle are also lending a hand, Scott added.
The complex is the largest and oldest in the city and inspectors are continuing to find CO-leaking stoves and furnaces. Of the 98 apartments inspected this week, 84 units had elevated CO-levels.
Families still living in the units were immediately evacuated after elevated CO-levels were detected, DHA said.
Once the agency completed the inspection of occupied apartments, they oversaw the inspection of 58 unoccupied units and discovered 34 with elevated carbon monoxide levels, Scott said.
Fifty-five people are still living in the complex, and the agency has 127 more, unoccupied apartments to inspect.
“I understand this is a difficult time,” said Scott, who added that the DHA is working with city, state and federal agencies, “to get through this crisis.”
Scott didn't know how much the city is spending to house the displaced families at area 12 hotels, but said families are being given $60 a day per adult and $30 for each child.
The families will stay at hotels for another week until inspectors deem the community safe and free of carbon monoxide emissions, lead paint, mold and potentially contaminated water from significant sewage issues.
The extended time will give officials the opportunity for “a better analysis of what our options are," Scott said.
