WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - City and state leaders are weighing in on the issue of some renters living in unlivable conditions in Wichita.

State Rep. Cyndi Howerton says she was shocked to see the conditions some people are living in at Emery Gardens. She says everyone should have good livable conditions.

“The bugs crawling on the wall, the water damage, it’s terrible,” she said.

She says under current state law the conditions at Emery Gardens falls under local government but as a Wichita representative she’d like to talk to anyone dealing with these issues.

“That is something we could work on this summer or fall and get some bills drafted so when we open in January we could immediately introduce that legislation,” she said. 

She says she has started looking into this and plans on talking to the committee who would hear the bill about it. She also talked to the chair who says he’s open to any ideas.

Since last spring, KAKE News has been showing you the living conditions at Emery Gardens. Renters with kids say they are living with mold, leaky pipes, and bugs. They say the landlord says he’ll fix it but little has been done.

Meanwhile Wichita City Council member Mike Hoheisel says the council has been working to give renters more protection in situations like these.

“We did pass the landlord retaliation act a couple of months ago. That was to ensure that people can report these violations and not have fear of retaliation for it. 

He expects the council will bring in more quality of life ordinances within the next year. Mentioning one specifically that would cover black mold since he says there’s no ordinance over that right now.

“It’s dangerous. Especially to children and disabled people and elderly people so we need to make sure those issues are taken care of responsibly and fast.

Both Hoheisel and Rep. Howerton say if you’re having any issues speak up. They say they want to help but can’t do anything if they don’t know about it.