UPDATE: Former resident of Serenity Towers, Mark Tilly, told WREG that MHA has finally completed the inspection at his new apartment, and everything is in working condition now.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former resident of Serenity Towers has finally received action from the Memphis Housing Authority to move into a new apartment after he ended up living in a homeless shelter.
Mark Tilly, who was forced to leave Serenity Towers when the city shut it down, was unable to move into a voucher-approved apartment due to delays in inspection by the MHA.
But a day after a WREG news story aired, MHA scheduled an inspection for his new apartment.
“Basically, Memphis Housing Authority has not just dropped the ball. They kicked it out in the field,” Tilly said, expressing his frustration with the delays.
The Memphis Housing Authority office on Adams is currently closed for repairs, which has added to the frustration of residents like Tilly who need in-person services. The office is expected to reopen on Monday, and tenants will be able to visit or schedule virtual appointments.
“I was at the door with about 20 other people. There is a note on the door says we gonna be closed ’til August 4th,” he said.
Serenity Towers closes doors for last time, final residents move out
But he says he could never connect with MHA. So he was essentially on the street, in 100 degree heat before he went to a mission shelter.
MHA’s PR firm stated that all work is being done remotely, and inspections are conducted daily with tenants receiving updates. They also reported that 90 relocations for Serenity Towers residents have been completed and passed inspection.
Tilly is not alone in his predicament, as he knows of at least four other people who are also waiting for MHA inspections to secure housing. MHA’s PR firm confirmed that five residents are still in the process of securing housing.
But after our story aired Wednesday at 10 p.m., Tilly says he suddenly he got a call from Glendale Apartments. MHA finally contacted them to schedule that inspection for Friday.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WREG. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WREG staff before being published.