Residents at a Grafton apartment complex designed for people with autism are dealing with widespread mold infestations following recent area flooding, prompting health and safety concerns among tenants.
Tyler Grosenick moved into Woodside Prairie earlier this year, excited about the relatively new community built specifically for people like him who have autism.
There are several buildings, each with several studio units and common spaces that all the housemates share.
Watch: Grafton neighbor seeks out TMJ4 after mold grows in apartments designed for adults with autism
But after area-wide floods came through a few weeks ago, he and his neighbors began noticing serious problems.
"There is a major mold infestation," Grosenick said. "You can even taste the spores in the air because of how thick it is in there... It's not just us. It's again, all four houses," Grosenick said.
Photos Grosenick shared show extensive mold growth throughout the building, but the worst of it is in his neighbor Krysti Michener's apartment.
Krysti returned home to her apartment after a few weeks away and discovered mold covering many items in her apartment, as well as above her air conditioner on the wall.
TMJ4 also entered one of the other buildings that had a strong smell and what appeared to be mold in the garage area.
Residents seek accountability from management
Due to the safety and health concerns, residents say they raised the issue with the property manager, Impact Management Group, earlier this week.
"The only email we got is something Krysti received from management, trying to fork the blame onto her, even though it's a property-wide issue," Grosenick said.
The email provided options, including allowing Krysti to move out early without penalty or moving to a different unit while management performs remediation work.
However, Grosenick wants the company to take more responsibility and show more empathy for residents' situations.
"The best thing I can hope for is this story being out there will put pressure on them to do the right thing," Grosenick said.
After TMJ4 visited, Grosenick said workers did come to inspect his unit and wipe away visible mold.
The property manager is Impact Management Group, a nonprofit that manages dozens of similar Wisconsin properties that cater to
In a statement, a spokesperson said they have already hired professional help to fully resolve the issues.
All of us at Woodside Prairie take the health and safety of our residents very seriously. We were first notified by a few residents about humidity concerns last week, and we immediately responded. Because we do not have regular access to the interiors of our residents’ homes, we rely on residents to alert us when an issue arises so that we can take swift action.
In this case, once we were notified, our team went above and beyond by inspecting not only the affected apartment but also all other apartments in the building. Our on-site property manager has remained in close contact with residents to keep them informed.
Management staff reached to all residents who reported humidity concerns, inspected, identified, along with providing education and assistance to ensure they know how to use their air conditioners as effectively as possible to control humidity. In addition, in the short term, we immediately made dehumidifiers available to any residents who requested one. Our professional maintenance staff also did a property-wide inspection this week to ensure that air filters are clean and equipment is operating properly.
The entire metro region has recently experienced historic rainfall, flooding, and prolonged hot, humid conditions that created challenges across many properties. Thanks to our experience and long-standing relationships, we were able to secure professional remediation contractors right away, even while many other property owners in the region are struggling to find assistance. Any issues identified by the professional remediation service company will be remedied.
Our priority is ensuring the well-being of our residents, and we will continue to work diligently until the issue is fully resolved.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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