TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) is calling for an end to the contract with the housing provider for MacDill Air Force Base, saying The Michaels Organization needs to pay the price, after the Tampa Bay 28 I-Team went inside the military housing and shared the stories of families who believe toxic mold made them sick.
“They need to suffer the consequences now. They've let us down. They let they've let the country down. They've let these families down," Rep. Castor said.
Full report from Kylie McGivern
MORE: Families living on MacDill Air Force Base come forward with concerns about mold
After hearing service members' stories and seeing the I-Team's video, Rep. Castor said — enough.
"I'm outraged. I continue to be outraged at the failure of the Michaels company and Harbor Bay to make timely repairs, and this has gone on for years," Rep. Castor said.
In 2019, there were congressional hearings and another lawsuit regarding concerns about mold at MacDill.
"This contractor has dropped the ball. They're probably the worst across the entire country. Is what I've heard from the folks who have governed military installations," Rep. Castor told the I-Team. “They are the poster child for failure.”
In the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Rep. Castor championed the Tenant Bill of Rights, meant to ensure safe and well-maintained housing for military families.
Then, in January of this year, Rep. Castor wrote a letter to Michaels regarding the organization's "failure to repair Harbor Bay housing" following hurricanes.
In the 3-page letter, she wrote, “Harbor Bay previously dragged its feet to remediate mold and mildew" and “It is incredibly disheartening to hear that the longstanding housing issues at Harbor Bay have persisted and worsened.”
Rep. Castor stated, "... reports of substandard conditions of on-base Harbor Bay housing are unacceptable.”
Rep. Castor told the I-Team, "The problem has been that they have a contract."
Military families file lawsuit against privatized base housing owner at MacDill over 'toxic mold'
According to a 218-page lawsuit filed on September 26 against Michaels, the organization took over ownership of a company that had a 50-year lease to privatize military housing at MacDill. That agreement is not due to expire until the year 2057.
Michaels Lawsuit Filed by ABC Action News
“They have not lived up to their contract, and they're at a point now where they're about to suffer the consequences. It's taken too long, we have pressed this contractor for many years, and they, they need to be held accountable," Rep. Castor said. “It's working with Col. Szczepanik, the commanding officer at the base, to make sure that all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed to make sure that this contract comes to an end, the Armed Services Committee and other members of Congress were focused on this happening at military installations across the country, but unfortunately, what has happened here at Harbor Bay, they're the worst of the worst. I'm going to follow the lawsuit filed by the families, I’m ready and willing to turn over all my communications over the years with families and the base commander and trying to get Harbor Bay’s attention on this to make sure that that's — if that's helpful to their lawsuit, to do that, and just to make sure that our military families have everything they need to serve our country and to take care of their families.”
The I-Team contacted Michaels to give the organization an opportunity to respond to Rep. Castor's comments.
In an email, a spokesperson for Michaels and Harbor Bay at MacDill told the I-Team, “While we cannot comment on the specifics of ongoing litigation, we take all residents’ concerns very seriously and our priority has always been and continues to be the well-being of our Harbor Bay residents, staff, and community.”
As for MacDill, the base says its leadership remains actively engaged in holding Michaels accountable to its contract.
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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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