Residents in the 1600-block of North Johnson Street complain deteriorating curbs create a muddy mess after rain and snow.

"It just looks like water, but underneath there's some thick mud that can cause a lot of problems. When it freezes over it's nothing but ice and then it starts to melt and it's covered with snow and you cant tell what's the deep end, what's the shallow end, you may think it's solid and then you sink through and then you got mud and ice and snow in your shoes," said Theresa McWilliams, who recently moved to the block.

Longtime residents said the problem began to get worse three to four years ago when the curbs started to erode. Water eventually began collecting in the middle of the block, instead of near the storm drain, which led to the large, five inch deep puddles that exist today.

"Nobody wants to come live in the neighborhood. They call it the ghetto neighborhood and it ain’t the people because they're paying their taxes, but they're not getting results for what they're paying for," said Clifton Lee, who has lived in his home since 1972.

Some neighbors have spoken with city leaders to get the area cleaned up, but the most action they've seen are temporary fixes to plug the holes.

"I've been calling the city on a consistent basis. I’ve had all the neighbors call the city, talking to the engineers. They’ve promised us they're going to get somebody out here to take a look at it. Wait until the spring. If we wait until the spring we're going to probably be in china because we're digging in so bad here," said neighbor Ollie Lewis.

Until a permanent fix is put in place, neighbors often have to stretch far distances to get into their cars. Some fear falling and have tried to use cardboard and other homemade devices to bridge across the puddles.

"It's hazardous. Not only does it make the neighborhood look bad or the house look tacky as far as curb appeal, but it’s dangerous. It's a hazardous situation," said McWilliams.