Two days after a WRAL investigation into conditions at Durham public housing, the woman at the center of the story said she is already seeing results.
In Monday's story, WRAL Investigates reported on maintenance backlogs at public housing authorities. According to data obtained from five area housing authorities through a records request, the Durham Housing Authority's backlog was the worst, with nearly 2,500 repairs pending and an average wait time of 27 days, compared to 288 work orders open for the Raleigh Housing Authority, with an average wait time of 8.2 days.
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Tiauna Taylor said Tuesday morning, after the story ran, she was already hearing from Durham Housing Authority officials on repairs she has been waiting on for years.
"The next morning I woke up to about 6 a.m. ... the director, the head of the office, a few maintenance guys, some glass people [reached out]," she said.
Taylor had a hole in her ceiling that she said had been there for four years, and for which she said she had filed multiple maintenance requests. On Wednesday, DHA maintenance workers patched the hole.
Taylor said they also looked at other issues, including bullet-ridden windows, a broken lock and a cracking foundation, and pledged to fix those, too.
"It took our story to get the progress," Taylor said. "I'm glad I got in touch with [WRAL], because had I not, it would've probably been four more years."
WRAL News previously reported that DHA cited staffing issues as contributing to delays in maintenance repairs. The agency has also frequently noted a lack of federal funding, and many residents being behind on rent, as contributing to their struggles.
WRAL Investigates reached out to DHA on Wednesday seeking an interview, and has not yet heard back.
