RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -- Florida Senator Marco Rubio called for two federal agencies to investigate the owner of an apartment complex in Riviera Beach.
Global Ministries Foundation owns the Stonybrook apartment complex, one of several properties in its portfolio that has received repeated code violations and reports of deplorable living conditions by residents, most of whom receive federal housing subsidies through Section 8.
Rubio met with Riviera Beach Councilwoman Dawn Pardo on Wednesday.
"I will not tolerate investors using federal subsidizes to prey on our community's less fortunate,” said Pardo. “No child should play in dirt and glass. Every housing complex should provide a safe environment for its residents, especially when the money is coming from the taxpayers. I commend Senator Rubio on his leadership.”
Rubio urged the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to launch investigations into Global Ministries Foundation. After visiting the nonprofit's federally-funded apartment complex in Jacksonville, Florida earlier this month and witnessing deplorable living conditions, Rubio promised to “bring to bear the full efforts of every agency with jurisdiction over this issue in order to hold GMF accountable.”
“GMF has received millions of dollars in federal funding, raised hundreds of millions in municipal bonds, and claims exceedingly high property values – yet they can’t seem to find the money to maintain a decent standard of living at their facilities,” Rubio wrote in the letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Stoneybrook Apartments has a total of 216 units. It is one of 60 properties owned by Global Ministries Foundation. At least a dozen of their properties are located in Florida.
