The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency serves low to moderate income families.

Video: Word On The Street (12/7/07)

Bridgette Franklin lives in a MDHA apartment in north Nashville with her daughter, son and two small grandchildren.

It's one of 5,000 properties MDHA oversees.

Hopefully, the three-bedroom apartment is not an example of MDHA's work.

For four or five months, Bridgette Franklin has been complaining to the Metro agency about a rotted hole in her apartment hallway.

She said MDHA workers had inspected it seven or eight times but never repaired it. Franklin said she was afraid one of her grandchildren would get hurt by stepping into the 8 inch hole.

Well, the youngsters didn't, but Ms. Franklin did Wednesday morning.

She stepped right into the hole and couldn't get out. Her leg was stuck on a pipe under the flooring.

Finally, Metro firefighters, using an ax to widen the opening, were able to free her.

Paramedics took her to Baptist Hospital where she was treated for scrapes and bruises.

It's funny what resulted from my single phone call from to MDHA.

I had hardly hung up the phone when a crew showed up at Franklin's apartment and went to work replacing the rotting floor.

"It was an unfortunate and unusual accident," said MDHA’s Director of Asset Management Jerry Seay.

He said it was the first time in 30 years for such an accident. Really?

Thankfully, MDHA agreed to pay for her hospital and doctor bills.