MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — The future of a local housing complex is uncertain.
This comes as a woman who lives there tells Channel 11 she’s dealing with a rodent infestation and safety issues.
“The day I moved in, I was greeted by mice, rodents, critters and everything else,” Jasmine Jones told Channel 11.
She’s lived in the Uansa Housing Complex in McKees Rocks for about a year.
“You’ll sometimes see them (mice) come out in groups,” she said.
She has traps and cats to deal with the problem. She showed us droppings in her kitchen cabinets on what she says is a “good day.”
Jasmine blames garbage inside and outside vacant units for drawing them.
She also has safety concerns. There is a bullet hole in her wall and she locks her window with a stick after someone tried to get in.
“My father had to drive two hours away to place the stick in my window,” she said.
We took her concerns to Allegheny County Housing Authority Executive Director Rich Stephenson.
“We’ve been having issues at Uansa for the last 15 to 20 years with pinhole leaks,” Stephenson said.
He says those leaks are leading to mold and dampness, which attracts rodents.
“We’ve made the decision we’re going to relocate the individuals,” he said. “We’re going to give them the opportunity to relocate to other properties.”
He agreed that vacant units are adding to the problem and it’s more cost-effective to empty all the units and evaluate.
It could mean not reopening Uansa at all.
We broke the news to Jasmine.
“That’s amazing, but I also feel like, how fair is that?” she said.
Location is her main concern.
“I do not have a vehicle. I work nonstop and I’m also a single mom. To be put somewhere I’m not familiar with or where there may not be transportation, I just couldn’t even do it.”
Stephenson told me Jasmine and other tenants should be getting calls about moving soon.
“I would hope and pray if we do move, if anything, it would still be in Pittsburgh.”
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