Residents in Plaza Towers deal with bugs, roaches while awaiting Affordable Housing project

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — With an Affordable Housing Project in the works, a new day is on the horizon for residents at Plaza Towers.

A property surrounded by years of allegations regarding unsafe property conditions. However, residents say that day can’t come soon enough.

“The building is old, the elevator goes out every other day,” said resident, Lorenzo Callahan. “There is a crack on one side that I know is not a healthy thing, so the building is getting old and that’s one of the reasons they want to get us out of here.”

The infamous Plaza Towers are more than 50-years-old and house low-income, as well as senior residents, but the facility is swirling with allegations of safety and sanitary issues. A 2022 grand jury report found the security cameras are often covered, there is a lack of security, and the facility needs proper maintenance and is due for repair.

“There are people that are in wheelchairs and they put them on the 12th floor…they never should have been put up there,” said Callahan. “That causes a lot of health problems, people angry all the time because you can hardly walk. The elevator will go out or there’s a fire alert, and you can’t do anything for hours.”

Rent can be around $450-850 a month for an apartment that “comes with its own set of problems” according to residents.

“Bed bugs, cockroaches, termites,” said Barbara Miller. “All my furniture that I came here with brand new, all eaten up by termites.”

Residents also fear the number of homeless that have access to the facility with the lack of security.

“We don’t feel safe, by 8 p.m. when it gets dark, we all stay in our apartments because we don’t feel safe,” said resident Lucy Portillo.

The plan is to move these residents to a new affordable housing project by 2026, but some say they don’t know if they make it that long.

“I’m going to die if I don’t, I don’t know where to go,” said Miller.

Until funding is in place to build affordable housing, even with these conditions, Plaza Towers is where residents will remain.

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