BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — On Thursday, the Kern County Grand Jury released a scathing report on the condition of three of the county's low-income senior living facilities.
The report states "there appears to be a major failure in the House Authority's Mission Statement to 'improve the quality of life by providing safe affordable housing.' Seniors should feel safe and secure in their residences and have activities to make their lives more enjoyable, but in many instances, they do not."
The Housing Authority of Kern County has put forward a number of proposals with the Grand Jury in order to continue meeting housing needs for low-income residents in the three local senior housing facilities.
The three facilities reviewed were the Park Place Senior Apartments, Plaza Towers and Annex just south of Valley Plaza Mall, and Pinewood Glen Retirement Homes.
The grand jury found that although all these properties are managed by the Kern Housing Authority the conditions of the facility differed greatly. The Plaza Towers and Plaza Towers Annex were found to be the worst-kept facility of the three.
The grand jury noted a critical need for an increased food supply for residents, new smoke alarms, a reduction in fees, and more staffing among other concerns.
23ABC spoke to tower residents Thursday about their experiences at the facility including the presence of homeless people who pose a threat to security.
"One of the reasons they have to lock the bathrooms, as well as the laundry rooms, so people don't go in there and sleep," described one resident. "On the fourth floor, somebody broke the door, so they can't lock the laundry room door anymore."
The grand jury has given a 90-day response deadline to the Kern County Board of Supervisors.
