"This is horrendous!" Unbelievable conditions inside Milwaukee apartment building

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Collapsed ceilings, strong odors...and FUNGUS in the hallways? These are the conditions FOX6 found inside a Milwaukee apartment building! The building's owner has a history of violations at his properties.

"I've seen a lot of poor living conditions, but this is horrendous," community activist Tory Lowe said.

The conditions inside 2710 West Juneau Avenue are the worst Lowe says he's ever seen.

"I thought, is this America?  Is this something that's going on in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?" Lowe said.

Inside one apartment on Friday, May 2nd, the ceiling caved in. A plastic tarp and towels covered the floor as water dripped from the ceiling into a bucket.

Then in the halls -- there is the mold issue.

"When you walk in, you see fungus growing on the side of the walls, mushrooms coming out of the walls," Lowe said.

Regine Gholson says she's horrified by what she has seen inside the building since moving in five months ago.

"Every month I tell them I need this done, I need that done. They say they'll get it done, but it never gets done. They have fungus downstairs -- all across the wall on the first floor.  They have rats and mice in the building. I haven't had any in my apartment so far but I've seen them in the building," Gholson said.

The building's listed owner is Elijah Rashaed.

Rashaed was also the landlord of 2405 West National in September, when a balcony collapsed -- injuring two people and causing the building to be condemned.

Lowe wants the same order for the West Juneau Avenue property.

"I think this building should be condemned," Lowe said.

On Monday afternoon, FOX6 News spoke with a crew working to repair the building's roof -- and saw that the mushrooms had been removed from a hallway.

The Department of Neighborhood Services tells FOX6 News a city inspector is meeting with the building's architect on Tuesday.

But it's all too late for one tenant -- whom Lowe helped to move out the other day.

"I hope that person is not homeless right now," Lowe said.

FOX6 News visited two addresses listed for the property owner on Monday -- but got no response.

When the city inspector goes out to the property on Tuesday, we're told they'll want to first address fire safety and structural issues -- and then the maintenance problems like the mold and burst pipe.

If the owner cannot quickly resolve the issues, the building could be shut down.

That decision will likely be made on Tuesday.