Senior citizen struggles with flooded apartment, delayed repairs

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - A Douglasville senior citizen on a fixed income says her home is no longer the safe haven she paid for. Tanya Tillery Camp, a disabled resident of the Douglasville Proper Apartments, has been grappling with the aftermath of a devastating flood caused by a burst pipe in her unit.

"That smell—you don't smell that when you walk in the door," Camp said, referring to the damp stench that has overtaken her apartment.

The flood, which soaked her bathroom, dining room, and other areas, has left Camp physically and emotionally drained. "Haven't slept. Six hours in about three days," she said.

Camp said she first noticed water spreading throughout her home three days ago. Despite repeated calls for help, maintenance workers didn’t arrive until late Wednesday. A plumber has yet to address the burst pipe, leaving Camp and her apartment in limbo.

"I kept calling back and no answer, no one ever showed up. Monday, nobody showed up. Tuesday, nobody showed up," she said.

The situation is particularly unnerving for Camp, who does not currently have renters’ insurance. "Uh, uh. I did last time," she said, referencing a previous flood in the same building earlier this year.

She and other residents have experienced flooding before, though Camp says others are hesitant to speak out publicly. "I was scared to do anything because—are they going to put me out?"

As Camp waits for repairs and struggles to dry out her home, she says the ordeal has been nothing short of a nightmare. "Water was everywhere, bathrooms, dining room, everything flooded," she said.

The Douglasville Proper Apartments have not yet commented on the incident or the repeated flooding issues. Camp’s experience underscores the challenges many seniors face when dealing with inadequate housing and delayed maintenance responses.