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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 2

WMUK | By Jessi Phillips

Published January 21, 2025 at 6:50 PM EST

Darendo Rouse stands at the stove in her apartment at Fox Ridge on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Her struggle to keep mice and pests out of her unit is detailed in the first part of this series. — *Darendo Rouse stands at the stove in her apartment at Fox Ridge on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Her struggle to keep mice and pests out of her unit is detailed in the* *first part* *of this series.*

Managers at a subsidized complex with a reputation for poor maintenance say they're doing what they can. Advocates aren't sure about that.

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

In Part 1 of our series, a group advocating for tenants reached out to local and federal housing authorities, sounding the alarm about conditions at Fox Ridge Apartments in Kalamazoo. But members felt they weren't getting far.

So they tried something else: contacting Independent Management Services, the company that manages Fox Ridge, with details of tenants' complaints.

To the group's surprise, IMS staff members agreed to meet. In Part 2 the managers make their case to a skeptical group of advocates.

You can read WMUK/NowKalamazoo's full investigation of Fox Ridge at NowKalamazoo.org.