Public housing tenants in Peekskill have been dealing with harsh apartment conditions and a lack of security, and have now been told only one problem can be fixed.

Housing officials have told residents the decision has been made to use the money they have toward extermination.

Dozens of tenants made appearances at the Peekskill Housing Authority meeting Tuesday night looking for answers. Most wanted answers over why the Housing Authority fired executive director Christine Scofield.

But members of the Housing Authority provided little insight into the firing, saying only that Scofield was unable to make the changes residents needed.

Many of the tenants disagreed. "I saw a lot of changes since she came on that were very positive," says Denis Davis, a Peekskill resident.

The discussion at the meeting then turned to the deplorable housing conditions that are allegedly sickening some tenants. "I have got a nodular dentity on my lung caused by fungus," says resident Kathleen Perez.

Tenants in the hundreds of public housing units say they're plagued with rats, mice, roaches, bed bugs and water leaks. On top of those conditions, residents are complaining over a lack of security in buildings. One woman claims her daughter was fondled in an elevator.

The Housing Authority says it's in talks with the Peekskill Police Department to try and get added security for tenants.