SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — Tenants at seven Shelbyville properties owned or managed by Winterwood Inc. are organizing for a collectively negotiated lease that would require regular maintenance, after residents described problems including mice, cockroaches, mold and water damage. The union, launched last month with help from the Kentucky Tenant Union, is scheduled to meet with Winterwood on Oct. 13 to begin bargaining. Tenants say the meeting was initially intended for union representatives, but the company opened it to all residents. Janatta Evans, who lives at Centrebrook Apartments, said she encountered a strong urine odor when she tried to move into her subsidized apartment in March. She said management told her an ozone machine had been used, but the smell remained. Later, she said, mice appeared in the apartment and droppings turned up on her stove and in her bedroom. Evans said she left after finding mice in the apartment and has since stayed at a hotel. She said she has not recently been able to enter her unit because the locks were changed while electrical work was underway. Evans stopped paying rent, and Winterwood sought to evict her; the court case was dismissed after her attorney filed a response describing the alleged unresolved infestation, according to the account of the case provided by tenants. Other union members described years of disputes over repairs and access. Jim Toole said he sought a closer parking spot and a different apartment to accommodate mobility and pain issues. He said he involved an attorney with the Kentucky Fair Housing Council after management denied a parking request backed by medical documentation. Akira Jordan-Carson, a member of the union’s bargaining team, said she has moved between apartments because of severe cockroach problems. She said tenants have also told her about sewage backing up into units, broken windows and suspected black mold. “We want to fight for each other,” Jordan-Carson said, pointing to residents who are elderly, disabled or have limited incomes and may not be able to pay for repairs themselves. Winterwood CEO Mike Hynes said in an email that the company’s goal is to meet with residents and hear their concerns. He said the Oct. 13 meeting was opened to all tenants to provide another opportunity for residents to speak with company leadership, and that Winterwood has no issue with the union. Hynes also asked the union to provide its governing documents and identify representatives authorized to act for tenants. The Kentucky Fair Housing Council’s executive director, Art Crosby, said he could not discuss individual cases without tenants’ permission. He described Winterwood as managing properties across Kentucky and said the company is “relatively receptive” to complaints. Winterwood has previously said it takes residents’ concerns seriously, does not retaliate against tenants and is committed to safe, well-maintained housing. The dispute also raises questions about oversight of subsidized housing. The Kentucky Housing Corporation, which provides tax-exempt bonds for affordable housing, said it had provided about $2.22 million in bonds for two Winterwood properties in Shelbyville. The agency said it had no outstanding complaints about Winterwood-owned properties in the city when it issued a statement last month, but was looking into the concerns. It said Shelby Place and Shelby House received high marks in inspections in October 2024 and were due for inspections again later this year or next. Tenants say repairs and upgrades have increased since organizing began, but they want regular maintenance standards written into an agreement so improvements continue after inspections. Winterwood manages more than 14,000 apartments across eight states, according to the information provided by tenants and the company.