No air conditioning, piled-up trash and overflowing bathtubs: Residents of JFK Towers in Durham say they're at their breaking point

Johnetta Alston has lived at JFK Towers for nearly two years.

“I’m not willing to give my life to stay here,” Alston said.

Alston said she’s also encountered broken elevators, mold, random water shutoffs and much more.

“The nastiness around here makes no sense,” Alston said.

Alston said management rarely does anything to fix the problems, and she’s not the only one who’s complained. WRAL News spoke with another resident who wished to stay anonymous out of fear of being kicked out.

“The way this place is run, it would embarrass a slumlord,” the resident said. “They literally don’t give one flying flip about the people that live here.”

There are nearly 200 residents inside the seven-story JFK Towers. Rent is based on income, and just about everyone who lives at the towers is older than 62 years old. Many of them say they live in fear for their health and are pleading for something to be done.

The anonymous resident showed WRAL News the trash chute on his floor. It was overflowing onto the floor with flies everywhere. It was an overpowering smell that filled the hallway.

WRAL News reached out to JFK Towers management to ask about the situation, and they said they would not give a statement.

Meanwhile, Alston has made it her duty to expose some of her neighbors' living conditions on her Facebook page.

“I’m just asking for help,” Alston said. “Not only for myself, but for everybody else that’s in this building that [doesn’t have another] place to go.

Alston said since many of the residents are older and have health concerns, they often can’t afford anywhere else to live. With nowhere to turn, they feel the only option they have is an unsafe one.