Louana Joseph, with her son, M.J., and daughter, Marlie, outside their former apartment complex in southwestern Atlanta. (Photo credit: Andy Miller/KHN)
In the last few years, inflation in the U.S has skyrocketed to unbelievable heights. Though, the most pressing issue happens to be the lack of affordable housing for low-income families. Not to mention, the poor conditions of said homes and apartments have led many families to suffer a whole horde of health issues, including asthma.
According to research, Black children are at a higher risk of suffering from asthma than their white counterparts. This is usually due to environmental factors and racial inequality.
For mother of two, Louana Joseph, moving to an apartment in Atlanta proved to be a bad decision for her family. Joseph’s son suffered from a severe health crisis that resulted from a respiratory infection a few months back.
After living in her home for three years, Joseph suspects that the poor conditions of her apartment negatively impacted her son’s health. She even fears that her son’s worsening health condition could eventually lead to asthma. Now after leaving the place they called home for years, Louana has to battle homelessness and her children’s health.
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Louana Joseph and her daughter, Marlie, moved out of their apartment because she suspects the gray and brown splotches that were spreading through the unit were mold. (Photo credit: Andy Miller/KHN)
There’s nothing more important in this world than caring for our child’s wellbeing. The moment Louana Joseph’s son had a seizure from an upper respiratory infection he caught back in July, she knew it was time to leave their apartment. Having lived there since 2019, the mother of two knew that the living conditions weren’t great. In fact, they were downright dangerous, especially after her son endured a major health scare.
Her apartment was covered in mysterious gray and brown splotches. The spots even made their way onto her furniture, such as her mattress and sofa. She eventually wrapped them in plastic in preparation for their move, but it did no good. Making matters worse, the gray and brown spots even grew on the covered boxes of diapers stacked on dressers, an Elmo doll lying face down, a child’s sneakers, and pink onesies.
Joseph soon realized that the spots weren’t just everyday stains. Instead, the spots were mold. Furthermore, the mother of two believes that the splotches have led to her son’s illness.
Unfortunately, airborne allergens and mold spores can trigger upper respiratory issues. It can even lead to a person developing lung diseases, such as asthma. As a rightfully concerned mother, Louana Joseph worried that eventually, her 3-year-old son would develop asthma. It would only be a matter of time before her infant daughter would get sick as well. Staring down the very real possibility of homelessness, Joseph had no choice but to leave the two-bedroom apartment. It was either that or put her children at an even greater risk of a health crisis.
After a pipe burst and the air conditioning broke in Louana Joseph’s apartment, gray and black splotches covered a ventilation grille. (Photo credit: Andy Miller/KHN)
Every day, more and more innocent children like Joseph’s son end up developing chronic health issues like asthma due to poor living conditions and pollution. Black children are especially at high risk.
At approximately $800 a month for a two-bedroom, it would seem like Louana Joseph lived in a nice neighborhood with safe living conditions for her children. However, that wasn’t Joseph’s experience at all. The living conditions threatened her children’s health, especially her 3-year-old son who already had an upper respiratory infection.
In August, Louana Joseph’s son, M.J., developed an upper respiratory infection that his mother suspects was caused by mold that was spreading in their apartment. (Photo credit: Andy Miller/KHN)
After leaving her apartment in Atlanta, Joseph had to move in with her sister down in Florida for the time being. Though, the mother of two wasn’t willing to let the owners of Seven Courts Apartments get away with anything.
RELATED: Are You Allergic to Mold? Here’s How to Tell
Eventually, the disgruntled mother of two returned to the two-bedroom apartment to make a complaint about its condition. More mold had appeared on a broken pipe and the air conditioner. However, Joseph says that the owners of the complex didn’t even lift a finger to fix the problem. At this point, Joseph would have to take legal action against the owners and demand retribution.
Eventually, Joseph sued the Seven Courts Apartments’ owner in a small claims court this past June. Things went well for the mother of two after she won the case. In addition, she received a total of $5,219 to compensate for her ruined belongings and the rent she already paid off.
With things looking up for Louana Joseph, the settlement could allow her to move into a new home. More importantly, a home that’s free of air pollutants and can potentially be easier on her children’s health.
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