Global Ministries Foundation class action overview:
- Who: Tenants of a New Orleans apartment complex are suing the owner.
- Why: The plaintiffs say the owner allowed the apartment to become unsafe.
- Where: The Global Ministries Foundation lawsuit was filed in a Louisiana district court.
Tenants of a New Orleans apartment complex are suing their landlord — religious nonprofit Global Ministries Foundation — alleging the owner allowed the complex to become unsafe.
The plaintiffs are six tenants of the Willows apartment complex at 7001 Lawrence Road, WWL-TV reports. They have reportedly filed a class action lawsuit against Tennessee-based nonprofit Global Ministries Foundation, alleging it allowed the property to become hazardous for occupants.
The lawsuit claims the nonprofit did not maintain the property for tenants, leading to mold and roach-infested units. The Housing Authority of New Orleans is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Patrick Young, the plaintiffs’ attorney, told WWL-TV his clients were forced to file the class action lawsuit after inaction from Global Ministries Foundation and its CEO Richard Hamlet.
He said the defendants did not provide “habitable conditions for [tenants] and their families, housing free from hazardous conditions,” in violation of the law.
He also said the plaintiffs made multiple complaints, contacted city council members who spoke up for them and enlisted local news media coverage, but had seen no changes, even after citations from the city.
“We look forward to bringing this matter to the Court,” Young said.
Landlord said tenants ‘choose’ to live there
Meanwhile, Hamlet told WWL-TV the lawsuit is “completely frivolous.”
He said Hurricane Ida and closures during the pandemic were responsible for the delays in responding to tenant concerns.
“We will vigorously defend this,” he added. “When we file a countersuit to this attorney group, we will be asking for damages for the fake news.”
Hamlet said the tenants could leave anytime if they weren’t happy.
“They choose to live there.”
However, Loyola University Law Clinic Director Davida Finger told WWL-TV there was no excuse for maintaining an uninhabitable property.
“It’s very insulting to say that ‘we can maintain a property any which way we want to’ because tenants can live someplace else,” Finger said. “There are no places for tenants to move. … The sheer moving costs alone are prohibitive for many tenants.”
In 2020, a $10 million settlement was reached to resolve claims that Gateway Plaza New York City residents were subjected to “oppressively cold conditions.”
What do you think of the allegations in this case? Let us know in the comments.
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