DA Zappala stepping in to help with deplorable conditions at Mon View Heights Apartments

Allegheny County District Attorney Steven Zappala is stepping in to help the residents of Mon View Heights Apartments in West Mifflin after he was made aware of the deplorable living conditions residents are living in.

West Mifflin’s police chief says his officers are the ones who told him how bad the conditions are at Mon View Heights. The chief, mayor and council contacted the district attorney’s office 10 days ago telling him about the deplorable conditions to try and get something done.

Allegheny County District Attorney Steven Zappala is stepping in to help the residents of Mon View Apartments in West Mifflin after he was made aware of the deplorable living conditions residents are living in.

“You’ve got 250 families approximately up there that are being held hostage,” Zappala said.

Issues like black mold, rodents and sewage problems are in addition to deadly violence plaguing the apartment complex.

One resident, a mother of six children said, “I cannot let this go on for my babies. I’ve never lived like this, I’ve never been raised up like this and I don’t want my babies raised up like this either.”

Zappala recently named the Mon View apartment complex as a public nuisance. He’s charged the LLC that owns Mon View with criminal nuisance and environmental crimes which gives law enforcement the ability to help.

Zappala says he intends to ask a judge to help him use HUD money that currently totals $233,000 a month to be given directly to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.

Zappala added, “Owner is not going to get paid any more if I have my way. Banks aren’t going to get paid anymore. All that money is going to go dollar for dollar into taking care of sewage, electric.”

Zappala says if and when a judge allows the HUD funds to be used by the county - he’ll have experts determine which apartment units should be fixed first and go from there. He says he has no intention of evicting anyone.

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