State officials have now issued new deadlines for elevator repairs at the Jacksonville Towers apartment complex following ongoing complaints.<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Ark. \u2014 Despite inspections, funding claims, and repair deadlines, questions about management accountability remain, and the investigation into Jacksonville Towers continues.<\/p>\n
The day after our original THV11 Investigates report on the complex<\/a> aired, state officials issued new deadlines for elevator repairs.<\/p>\n \u201cYears ago, this place was the cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me. We had security guards, maintenance, and elevators. It was always clean. But those days are long gone,\u201d a resident said. Those days are long gone.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our last home, and they\u2019re making it miserable,\u201d said a resident who wants to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation.<\/p>\n Residents also said that the problems go far beyond the elevator issues we first told you about just last week.<\/p>\n Those issues have left some elderly residents with walkers and wheelchairs struggling to leave their apartments.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe elevators aren\u2019t working, so I had to get back in my car,\u201d another resident shared.<\/p>\n Residents showcased pictures of additional concerns inside the building that show, what they said are water leaks, broken air conditioning units, and appliances that haven’t been fixed in more than a decade.<\/p>\n Living conditions at Jacksonville Towers<\/p>\n However, last week, when residents invited us inside to hear their concerns, the visit escalated, and police were called to the scene as we worked to gather information for our investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll trespass them all [the news crews] as soon as they come,\u201d the property manager, Ivan Lee, told Jacksonville police.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey want you trespassed,” said the officer to THV11 Reporter Tanya Modersitzki.<\/p>\n “Even though I\u2019m a guest?” asked Modersitzki, per body cam footage.<\/p>\n In response, the offer stated that management of Jacksonville Towers said that they did not want any members of the media on the property.<\/p>\n Police were then asked to trespass our reporter.<\/p>\n An officer could also be heard on body cam footage calling the situation shady and questioning why management wouldn’t want the media to be on the property.<\/p>\n The day after our original story aired, the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing issued a letter to Jacksonville Towers.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the letter, it states that there are serious elevator safety violations and ordered that repairs be done within 60 days of the notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n If not completed within the time frame, the property could face fines of $500 to $1,000 per day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Records show the elevators passed inspection in February of 2026, but noted some deficiencies just one month before residents said major issues started.\u00a0<\/p>\n Open records also show previous code enforcement concerns, including rodents and reported homeless encampments, which were later marked as resolved, and also show the elevator concerns having been marked as “resolved.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Code enforcement said the elevator matter was referred to the fire department, citing ADA-related concerns that non-ambulatory residents should not be housed above the first floor if elevators aren’t operational.<\/p>\n Last week, the fire department told us that between the state and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, about $70,000 was approved for elevator repairs.<\/p>\n The fire department also explained that one of the two elevators in the building remains operational.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the property owner, Elderly Housing Development and Operations Corporation (EHDOC), said it cannot confirm “specific funding agreements.”<\/p>\n “We are fully committed to getting this resolved and are actively working through the necessary steps to do so,” said officials with the EHDOC.<\/p>\n When we reached out to the Arkansas State Housing Finance Agency, they said it is not aware of any such funding being provided to the property.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some residents also explained that they don’t think money is going to where it’s supposed to go.<\/p>\n Since last week, residents said they’re still asking the same question: who’s responsible for hearing their concerns and overseeing this?\u00a0<\/p>\n EHDOC is a private non-profit that participates in federally supported housing programs and receives HUD funding, but is not public housing owned by a local authority.<\/p>\n We reached out to HUD for answers and further clarification, but haven’t heard back.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Congressman French Hill said he remains engaged on housing oversight issues and encourages residents facing problems to contact his office or their local representatives.<\/p>\n For residents inside Jacksonville Towers, though, the concern isn\u2019t politics\u2014it\u2019s whether the elevators, and the building itself, will be fixed before conditions get worse.<\/p>\n To view supporting documents regarding this investigation, please click here<\/a>, here<\/a>,\u00a0here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you have something you want our THV11 Investigates to potentially look into, you can call (501) 590-4630 and leave a message, or email our team at investigate@thv11.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"State officials have now issued new deadlines for elevator repairs at the Jacksonville Towers apartment complex following 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