Veterans Affairs staff removed residents from facility last week

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Birmingham has condemned the Steps and Traditions veterans home building for the second time this year.

Last week, officers responded to the death of a resident at the Warrior Road business, and uncovered a dozen veterans living in what they called deplorable conditions inside.
“We are talking about mold covered pieces of filth on the floor that human beings were expected to lay their heads on,” One Roof Executive Director Michelle Farley said.
Her homeless advocacy group was called to help find housing for those evacuated from the home last week.

She claims residents were being charged rent up to $700 to live there, without running water, six months after it was first condemned in February.

Vandetta Smith’s husband Rahn ran the home.

She claimed the rooms with mold and collapsing ceilings were abandoned.

She also claimed they were not charging every resident rent to stay there.
“If they gave Rahn any money, it was probably to keep the lights on, that's about it,” Smith said.

Birmingham police Officer Truman Fitzgerald says they assigned a Special Victims Unit detective to the case.

“Were there elder abuse crimes being committed, was there fraud, was there thefts against those persons' income checks that come in monthly,” he said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed Friday that they canceled their contract with Steps and Traditions in April 2022, due to the conditions of the facility.

The Jefferson County Health Department said it suspended the facility’s permit once they learned residents were living without running water.