PETERSBURG, Va. — People living at the Carriage House Apartments in Petersburg are being told to leave their homes after the building was red-tagged by code enforcement as uninhabitable.
The city red-tagged the building Tuesday. Around 3 p.m. Wednesday, families were told they had to be out of the building by 5 p.m.
In a statement, Petersburg said the red tag will remain in place until maintenance code violations are completed, adding that "necessary repairs include addressing failures in the water-heating system and boiler, roof and pipe leaks and resolving other unsanitary conditions."
Sources also tell CBS 6 there is raw sewage in the basement.
Shena Goode has spent less than a year living at Carriage House Apartments and said she is frustrated that management has not kept residents informed.
"I just want to know what's going on," Goode said. "I want to hear something and I want to hear something now."
"Where is my rent going to?" Goode questioned. "I need to know those answers."
Anthony Davis Sr. said his 102-year-old mother has lived at Carriage House for many years and expressed frustration with how the building's owners have handled the situation.
"I want solutions. Answers are one thing, I want solutions, what solutions to get this back on track so the residents can have a place to live and stay and feel safe," Davis said.
Minister Sandra Tucker's sister is wheelchair-bound, and Tucker said she is not getting answers about what will happen to her.
"She's already paid rent. So she has no money to go any where to stay. So I'm here to see what's going to happen," Tucker said.
David Cook described the scene as neighbors scrambled to pack up their belongings.
"You see all of us out here disabled using walkers and wheelchairs, and there's no sense in that," Cook said. "How can it get any worse than that?"
Wednesday morning, Petersburg code enforcement, the fire marshal, and social services entered the building.
Jennifer Perez, who runs the nonprofit "A Ray of Sunshine," said Tuesday's news report broke her heart. She showed up at the apartment complex Wednesday to offer help, including housing and food, to people in need.
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan issued a statement saying her office has reached out to multiple agencies on behalf of residents.
"My team and I have reached out to the City of Petersburg, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Richmond Field Office and the Carriage House Apartment owners for answers and to ensure that the residents have a place to stay and these ongoing maintenance issues are addressed," McClellan said.
NAACP raises accountability concerns
NAACP leaders also responded to the crisis Wednesday, saying it highlights years of ongoing concerns at the property. Tracey Hardney Scott, Virginia NAACP Housing Chair, said the organization is waiting to hear from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, noting the building receives some form of federal funding.
"We're waiting to hear from HUD, obviously because this is a building that does receive some form of federal dollars," Scott said. "You're dealing with people that are already on fixed income, they've already pretty much exhausted the income that they got for the month. Now they're going to be in hotels that has minimal transportation around it."
With no timeline on when residents can return, and buses lined up outside Carriage House to take people to their next destination, NAACP leaders raised concerns about long-term accountability — questioning why it has been difficult to get answers from the building's owners and managers for years. The owners, Envolve, are based in Alabama.
CBS 6 reached out to Envolve about the sudden evacuation. The company provided this statement:
"Envolve is working cooperatively to resolve the matter and return residents to their homes as quickly as possible," Envolve said.
Delegate Kimberly Pope Adams, who represents the 82nd District, said she is currently working with the city to ensure that people who were forced out have a home to come back to.
NAACP leaders also said they are looking to partner with organizations and nonprofits in the city to ensure families do not go without a meal during the transition.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported 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. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
