Jackie Talarico has change into an outspoken advocate for army households nationwide. The previous Sigsbee Park resident and army partner in Key West is on the forefront of a mass lawsuit filed March 27 in opposition to the U.Ok.-based infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty, which manages a lot of the U.S. army’s housing and which the swimsuit claims “hid the horrific circumstances from unsuspecting service women and men and their households.”
Talarico, together with 191 different army residents, allege a variety of well being points stemming from their time in army housing within the Sigsbee Park, Trumbo Level and Truman Annex housing neighborhoods. The reported signs embody “bronchial asthma and different respiratory points, sinusitis, migraines, reminiscence loss, mind fog, blurred imaginative and prescient, compromised immune methods and different critical well being points.”
Along with the well being considerations, many households say the housing circumstances positioned an undue monetary burden on them.
“We’ve been residing on an air mattress — me, my two youngsters and our canine. The final six months of Anthonie’s shore obligation have been taken from us as a result of there wasn’t viable housing in Key West,” Talarico stated.
The Talarico household was compelled to separate for Anthonie’s remaining time in Key West after Balfour Beatty issued an eviction discover.
“Our household’s solely different possibility was to take a house that confronted the identical systemic points we had already endured, comparable to roof and ceiling leaks,“ she stated, “and signal a brand new common lease that states mildew is liveable.”
Talarico felt her solely choice to hold her household protected was to maneuver off base and proceed advocating for different households’ well being and security to make sure nobody else is harmed by these alleged claims in opposition to Balfour Beatty. She has since refused to signal any non-disclosure agreements sought by the corporate. Jackie and her kids moved in together with her mother and father whereas her husband, Anthonie, accomplished his shore obligation in Texas. They’ve been making an attempt to get well health-wise and financially ever since as Tricare – the medical insurance provided to all service individuals and their dependents – doesn’t cowl mildew testing and associated medical remedy.
The 175-page lawsuit consists of testimonies from 55 households who report neglect and hurt attributable to Balfour Beatty’s alleged mismanagement.
Hints of a lawsuit had been circulating for almost a 12 months. Earlier than that, many affected households linked by a non-public Fb group known as “Sigsbee Housing Points/Well being Points,” created eight years in the past by Astrid Trotter — one other plaintiff within the swimsuit.
The Fb web page is crammed with complaints, warnings and images from present and former residents — photos of mold-covered ceilings, crumbling partitions, and deteriorating flooring. Talarico was an lively member of the group, utilizing not solely that platform but in addition her private Fb, Instagram and TikTok accounts to boost consciousness.
Her motivation, she insists, isn’t monetary. It began together with her kids’s well being.
“It’s about a lot greater than that. It’s about wanting justice and accountability, as a result of I do know I didn’t hurt my kids. I did all the things proper as a mom, and I trusted these individuals after they stated they’d remediated the mildew correctly. I trusted them, and so they harmed us,” she stated.
When requested if she feared retaliation from the corporate, she responded, “I’m not threatened, as a result of I do know all the things I say is backed up. I’m simply right here to advocate and educate — to get everybody the assistance they deserve.”
Talarico’s story is one among many within the lawsuit from households who really feel Balfour Beatty knowingly positioned them in harmful residing circumstances.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson from Balfour Beatty Communities stated, “We’re conscious of the lawsuit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously. The wellbeing of residents will at all times stay our primary precedence.”
This isn’t the primary time Balfour Beatty has confronted critical allegations. In 2021, the corporate paid over $65 million in fines and restitution after admitting to a fraud scheme involving U.S. army housing repairs.
With almost 200 plaintiffs concerned, the case may take vital time to unfold. In the meantime, the housing disaster in Key West stays underneath pressure, as extra army households are selecting to reside off base — one thing that doesn’t at all times sit nicely with native non-military residents who really feel they’re competing for housing with army members who obtain a beneficiant month-to-month housing allowance.
NAS Key West spokesperson Danette Baso Silvers stated the Navy doesn’t touch upon pending litigation. Nonetheless, when requested what actions the Navy is taking to help households coping with these points, the response was: “The Navy Housing Service Heart continues to help households with any points or considerations with their houses or property upkeep. The Navy’s focus is on the thorough remediation of any impacted houses to make sure the well being and security of residents. Since final 12 months, the Navy has been proactively evaluating each house at NAS Key West to handle household housing considerations. Specialists from NAS Key West, the Navy & Marine Corps Drive Well being Safety Command, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, and NAVFAC Southeast are main these inspections, concentrating on important life, well being and security hazards comparable to mildew and moisture, asbestos and lead-based paint.”