The Task of Cleaning An Apartment Complex Over Half Full of Resettled Refugees

As I drove into the apartment complex, I was immediately stunned at all the trash on the ground, I had no idea, and who would unless they went there. I knew this would not be a fun job. Most apartment complexes or offices that i clean are ok. I do some vacuming touch up the windows, make sure all is well, then on to the next. I did the job, but raised Hell with the apartment manager afterwards for letting it get so bad. I raised even more hell, when after my co-worker and I cleaned it, it was even worse 2 weeks later.

The complex was full of refugees resettled in Maine, a clean state as far as litter goes. The state does bottle redemption, cans and bottles are worth 5-10 cents.
I made over $150 just from all the bottles and cans the somalies or bantus had left laying around the grounds of complex. My coworker and I removed 35 55-gallon black garbage bags full of waste. Additionally about 3 tvs, some tables, toys left out in the weather, and clothes shoes, left laying outside as well. Stuff that at one time wasnt garbage, but because they didnt take care of the stuff given to them, it was garbage now.

There were garbage cans around the complex, but they were empty. All the trash was on the ground. And some of the trash was a hazard, as in if someone stepped on it, they would probably catch something that even a brillo could not clean.

As we are cleaning,somaliees and others are leaving the complex, staring us down in their 2014 or newer mercedes, preferred vehicle brand of the refugees that I saw in the complex. I saw several women run over to other apartments then run back. Apparently, they have never seen anyone c leaning up their place before. Later in the day, I stopped at a tire place to get a new tire, apparently I had run over a nail, and I saw a somali or nigerian getting his escalade refitted with giant tires, chrome included.

The people were not very nice to us. They stared with a blank mistrust in their eyes. Almost hate, but not quite. More like how a stray looks when you try to feed it. Only one little girl came up to me and asked "you the inspection people"?
"Yes" I said sternly,(even though this is not true) and since the apartment where she came from had large amounts of trash around, I showed her how and why we use trash cans. Maybe such wisdom would be imparted to her family, and spread like a virus, I hoped anyways. I then found out that in fact the complex did have inspections that week, and in order to keep federal subsidies, we were hired to clean the place. An additional inspection by another agency would happen two weeks later.

At the end of the complex an American lady saw us, and started helping. Her grounds and the buildings surrounding were clean. She began to tell me how it is, and she did not hold back either. Funny thing about cleaning, it makes people talk. She said that all the refugees live in the first 4 buildings I saw, and that we live down here, and this is why it remains clean. She said they have written complaints to management, but are ignored. The refugees provide the complex management with guaranteed rent payments via federal and state subsidy money, the gas is paid, and they get money for water sewage, trash, and the power bill is paid via a state program for refugees. They get first choice for housing because of this. She said the lease changed last year to state that anyone late on rent for 2 weeks will have eviction proceedings taken against them, and the rent increased by $30.

I could not not believe what I had just experienced, but at least the job was done. The poor maintenance man's job had just begun however, he had to get more supplies for a wall that had been ripped out in building 1, and a faucet and pipe that had been ripped out in building 3. Yes, those are the places where all the refugees were. And this is the story of how those refugees are living in America.