TAMPA, Fla. — More military families at MacDill Air Force Base are coming forward to the Tampa Bay 28 I-Team, speaking out about mold conditions they say are making them sick, as the contractor managing their housing faces increased scrutiny from the Air Force.
The Michaels Organization, which manages Harbor Bay at MacDill, has been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) after multiple problems were identified, according to an Air Force spokesperson.
"We look to our project owner partners to take care of issues so our Airmen and Guardians can focus on the mission," the Air Force spokesperson said in a statement. "The Michaels Organization was placed on a PIP following multiple problems identified across their portfolio that raised life, health and safety issues."
The plan contains action items, milestones and schedules for Michaels to address what the Air Force described as unsatisfactory performance of management and maintenance operations at MacDill Air Force Base. The phases will address improving maintenance quality and oversight, operational consistency and improving moisture mitigation.
The Air Force said there is no set timeline for the performance improvement plan, and that it is "dependent upon Michaels Organization successfully addressing and completing all benchmarks and milestones" as the Air Force provides oversight.
The move comes after military families first met with I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern a year ago and then invited her into their homes on base, to show the living conditions.
Since then, McGivern spoke with multiple government officials about the mold.
'I started losing my trust'
Gerry Matos Negron joined the Army after watching the September 11 attacks unfold on television while he was in college in Puerto Rico.
"This was the catalyst to make me serve the country," Matos Negron said.
His goal was to serve for 30 years. He will not make it.
"I started my medical retirement," Matos Negron said. "I got sick out of nowhere."
Matos Negron said he didn't have any strength in his hands.
"Everything was falling out of my hand," he said. "I was unable to, kind of like, undress a simple shirt or even brush my teeth."
After visiting the clinic, Matos Negron says his wife asked the doctor whether there could be any connection to mold in their home.
"There's a possibility that that triggers your husband's autoimmune disease," Matos Negron said, recounting what the doctor told them.
One of his 11-year-old twin boys, he says, has not stopped coughing.
"The pediatrician, he asked me, 'Are you in the mold situation, or do you live in the mold?' I said, 'As a matter of fact, I am," Matos Negron said.
Matos Negron pointed to conditions inside his home.
"You can see over there on the top of the vent it's still growing," Matos Negron said, and pointed to an area in his kitchen.
Matos Negron described what happened when he called housing.
“We have some kind of mold. They came here on the same day and they look, oh, that's not mold. They just wipe it up, liquid Clorox or something, they brush it out and say, 'don't worry, I'm going to put another — another filter or another seal.' And then it goes back again. So these are the things that kind of like — break the trust. Of the company that runs the housing. Because we call them, I need a service, I have a health situation in my kitchen, I need your help. And then they come here and they just flush it and say, 'Oh, that's not mold. Don't worry about it," Matos Negron said. "Then suddenly things start kind of like coming up and building upon and I started losing my trust with the system."
Matos Negron said he's always wanted to advocate for other soldiers after climbing the ranks to Sergeant Major.
"It's only 1% of the enlisted force that reaches this level," he said.
He just never imagined, he said, that he would be advocating in this way.
“I'm not going to stay silent," Matos Negron said.
Mold inspector: 'Every single home' had unfit conditions
Josh Rachal, owner of Texas Mold Inspectors, has been inspecting homes on MacDill over the past year as part of a lawsuit filed against The Michaels Organization.
"No mold should be growing in anyone's home. None," Rachal said.
Rachal said he has inspected approximately 60 homes on MacDill Air Force Base so far, including the Matos Negron and Ewing family homes.
"Every single home I've entered, I have found conditions that really are unfit for humans," Rachal said.
Photos taken inside the Matos Negron family's HVAC unit during Rachal's inspection, and provided by Just Well Law, show what Rachal described as significant mold growth.
"I observed carpet-like mold growth inside of that HVAC system," Rachal said.
Matos Negron said Rachal's reaction during the inspection was alarming.
He was ringing all the bells," Matos Negron said. "You need to move out of here. This is not a safe house for you."
Rachal said he is committed to continuing his work on the base.
"If it takes turning that Air Force base into a ghost town, that's fine I'll go to every home," Rachal said, referencing homes that are vacant from families moving out. "But they need to tell the families the truth about the conditions they're living in."
Lawsuit alleges 'corporate indifference'
Matos Negron's concerns are echoed in a 218-page lawsuit filed in September against The Michaels Organization. The suit includes 39 families claiming they lived in mold-ridden homes and that their pleas for help were met with "corporate indifference." The lawsuit alleges fraud, negligence and health problems.
The Matos Negron family is planning their move. Others tell the I-Team they cannot afford to leave.
'I'm disgusted. I'm mad.'
Lauren Ewing says her family is stuck.
"We can't move off base," Ewing told the I-Team.
Ewing said her daughter's asthma has worsened since her family was stationed at MacDill.
"She has missed school a lot more than she has ever had since being stationed here," Ewing said. "Last year alone, she missed 16 days of school."
Ewing says she has also experienced new health problems of her own.
"I've never been diagnosed with anxiety, high blood pressure, any of that until I came here," Ewing said.
Ewing is 37 years old.
"I feel like my body should not feel like I'm a senior citizen," she said. "The body aches and pains that I'm feeling is something that I've also experienced since I've been here."
Ewing recalled noticing mold growing in her kitchen drawers and on the utensils.
"When all of this stuff happened, they tried to write it off like it wasn't a big deal. They put us out for a couple of months, dried out the walls, fixed whatever they had to fix, and put us back in the home, and here we are today," Ewing said.
Standing in her daughter's bedroom, looking up at the air vent directly above the bed, Ewing said, "When she gets sick she says she feels like she can't breathe...so, you know she's using her inhaler, she's using multiple things to get better, but now that I'm seeing this it's like is it is it even helping?"
"I'm disgusted. I'm mad," Ewing said. "It's not OK, it's not, like come on, it's children."
Ewing said the scope of the problem became clearer when she saw signs posted on a neighbor's furniture.
"They had these huge signs posted on their furniture that said, toxic mold do not touch, that's when it came to — it came to reality," Ewing said.
Ewing pointed to nearby homes.
"My neighbors next door, the house to the left of us is completely empty due to the mold. The people on the corner are currently displaced, due to mold," Ewing said.
Ewing says she is concerned that new families are being moved into homes as others leave.
"As fast as these families are moving out, they're moving more families in," Ewing said.
Families vow to keep speaking out
Despite the toll the situation has taken, both families say they will not stay silent.
"There's a lot of families out there who are afraid to speak up," Ewing said. "If we don't speak up, no one's going to do it for us."
Matos Negron said he never thought he'd be speaking with a reporter.
"Not in a lifetime," Matos Negron said. "My concern is my family, but it's the person next after me, that family."
Matos Negron said he has no fear of their story.
"It's not my story, it's my wife, my children, my daughter, everybody's story," Matos Negron told the I-Team.
U.S. Air Force Full Response
"Housing is a critical element in the quality of life for our Air Force families. We look to our project owner partners to take care of issues so our Airmen and Guardians can focus on the mission.
A PIP contains action items, milestones, and schedules for the Michaels Organization to address the unsatisfactory performance of the management and maintenance operations at MacDill Air Force Base. Overall, the PIP will be completed in phases to address the following areas: improving maintenance quality and oversight, operational consistency, and improving moisture mitigation.
The Michaels Organization was placed on a PIP following multiple problems identified across their portfolio that raised life, health, and safety issues. The issues compounded by the slow storm recovery effort from the 2024 hurricanes resulted in subpar housing operations at MacDill AFB. The DAF determined a PIP was necessary to address all DAF concerns. There is no set timeline for a PIP, which is dependent upon the Michaels Organization successfully addressing and completing all benchmarks and milestones.
The DAF is providing oversight to ensure DAF standards are consistently met and implemented at MacDill AFB."
The Michaels Organization Full Response
“We take the concerns of our residents – and the safety and well-being of our entire Harbor Bay community – very seriously. We are constantly working to improve the level of service for our residents, including partnering closely with the U.S. Air Force and Base Command to strengthen how we communicate, maintain homes, and enhance the overall community.
We are investing significant time and resources into our homes, expanding our operating team with a focus on customer service and quality control, and have initiated new inspection and preventative maintenance protocols.
We are aware that some former residents are being advised by a law firm and are engaging in legal action. While we cannot comment on the specifics of litigation, we encourage residents to bring any maintenance concerns to our attention, whether online, by phone, or in person, so they can be addressed promptly through our efficient channels. Our priority has always been and continues to be the care of our residents, staff, and the community at large.”
Share Your Story with Kylie
Kylie McGivern works tirelessly to get results for the people of Tampa Bay. Her reporting has exposed flaws in Florida’s corrections system and unemployment process. Reach out to Kylie and our I-Team if you need help holding state leaders accountable.
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