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Dusky long outdoor view of modern multi-unit residential building on a hill with another building in the same style further down the hill. There is a snowy hillside in the foreground

'Nothing but problems': Confronting the living conditions at Fox Ridge Apartments

Tenants at a housing complex in Kalamazoo have long complained of problems such as severe mouse infestations and sewer backups. Advocates for residents say the conditions are threat to children's health. How does Fox Ridge keep passing inspection, and what would it take to bring meaningful change?WMUK reported this three-part investigative series in collaboration with NowKalamazoo.

'Nothing but problems': Confronting the living conditions at Fox Ridge Apartments, Part 1

WMUK | By Jessi Phillips

Published January 20, 2025 at 4:57 PM EST

Picture of large green sign outside with contrasting gray trim and the words "Fox Ridge Apartments." The words are partly obscured by snow on hedges in front of the sign. There is snow on the ground and a small woods in the background. — A sign at Fox Ridge Apartments in the West Douglas neighborhood of Kalamazoo.

How does Fox Ridge, a subsidized housing complex in Kalamazoo, keep passing inspection?

This is the first story in a new reporting collaboration with NowKalamazoo exploring Kalamazoo County's housing crisis.

Sewage on the floor. Mice in the cupboards. Water coming through the ceiling. Those are some of the problems tenants report at Fox Ridge Apartments in Kalamazoo.

"Normal people don't get up and their apartment is their problem," said tenant Ginger Wilburn. "You're not thinking your house where you live is going to be nothing but problems."

In Part 1 of a three-part series on WMUK, Wilburn and other tenants describe the problems with their units, and members of a group now known as the Housing Advocacy Collective explain why they believe the complex poses a threat to children's health and development.

You can read WMUK/NowKalamazoo's full investigation of Fox Ridge on NowKalamazoo's website.