There are signs of mold all over the Evergreen Ridge Apartments in East Asheville. In one old utility hallway in building D, the walls are crumbling and black in places, pipes are bent. In the main lobby, the ceiling buckles under the weight of water damage. An overpowering musty smell permeates the halls, creeping into tenant apartments.
The nearly 100-year-old building was originally a hospital for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Now, it’s one of the rare places in Asheville where a family, or a single person, can rent a two-bedroom apartment for under $1,000. It draws tenants who are elderly or disabled, living with young children or are otherwise vulnerable.
The cheap rent comes at a cost for some residents. In a series of interviews with BPR, multiple residents at Evergreen Ridge said that leaky pipes, festering mold and neglected repairs are harming their health. Evergreen Ridge Apartments declined to comment, and its parent company, Shadow Ridge Associates, did not respond to multiple requests for comment…