Ever since the City of Aurora condemned an apartment building due to the slumlord’s negligence, and in the process forcefully evicted over 350 tenants (including nearly 80 children registered in school) with less than a week’s notice, a handful of community organizations have been working tirelessly around the clock with former tenants to try to find solutions in a very short amount of time. All the while, whilst doing everything in their power to secure stable housing once again, the tenants have kept up the same chant and demand, “¡¡¡QUEREMOS TIEMPO!!! WE NEED MORE TIME!!!”
The City’s original plan had been to provide less than 24-hour notice during the week that many kids were starting the school semester before condemning the building and evicting the paying tenants. They’d then offer hygiene packs and 3 days of congregate shelter. However, after HAND first released it’s press release on this and public outcry forced them to change the date, they gave 6 days of notice and a few weeks of hotel stay.
Since that day, several small community organizations alongside County and local school systems have been meeting daily, multiple times each day, trying to find resources for these families.
STILL, we have (reasonably) struggled finding solutions for all over 350 tenants of the building. Many groups can only offer support for 8, 15, or 20 households, leaving others wondering what they’re expected to do. A legal team has opened a new lawsuit against the property owners and is currently negotiating reasonable accommodations due to Warranty of Habitability, which would require 60 days in a hotel or comparable dwelling. The landlord has already agreed to relocate a couple dozen families, and allowing more time would allow more people to be rehoused.
Even with the law and these organizations/institutions on their side, with their new hotel exit date set for Tuesday, many 1568 Nome St residents will be forced to relocate AGAIN without anywhere to go…
WE MUST DEMAND that the City of Aurora extend the stay of tenants for 30 additional days in these temporary hotels while the legal system catches up and their slumlord CBZ Management is finally forced to pay some of what they’ve stolen from tenants. If the Warranty of Habitability considers 60 days reasonable, then the City should reflect that in their support for the tenants. The organizations working tirelessly to rehouse these individuals simply haven’t had enough time.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN DEMAND THE CITY UPHOLD THESE TENANTS’ RIGHTS:
The action is to email and call the following three city officials to request that they extend the hotel stay as we continue working on relocation through legal and organizational means.
Contact Information:
- Mayor Mike Coffman ( mcoffman@auroragov.org , 303-739-7015)
- City Manager Jason Batchelor ( jbatchel@auroragov.org , 303-739-7060)
- Director of Community Services, Jessica Prosser ( jprosser@auroragov.org , 303-739-7061 ext 37061 or 303-739-7900)
SAMPLE TEMPLATE TEXT:
Dear Mayor Coffman, City Manager Batchelor, and Director Prosser:
My name is [YOUR NAME], [A CONSTITUENT OF AURORA, IF APPLICABLE], and I am writing to you concerning support for the tenants of apartment building 1568 Nome St. While I understand the building was recently condemned due to substandard living conditions, and I thank you for providing temporary hotel stay to the vulnerable tenants, they still need continued temporary stay of 30 additional days while the landlord is being pursued legally. Forcing them once again to face the streets this Tuesday the 27th will leave them and their over 80 children even more vulnerable to abuse, bad actors and dangerous conditions as former tenants face the streets. Instead of condemning the most vulnerable people in this situation, I ask that you work with former tenants and the local organizations coordinating their cases to extend their hotel stay and allow the parties involved suitable time to relocate. Many are already in the process of doing so, but it is an extensive list and takes more time. The residents upheld their end of the lease and have not done anything wrong, and are entitled to suitable accommodations under Warranty of Habitability.
When landlords/property managers refuse to respect the rights of their tenants, it is the local government’s responsibility to protect those rights. Instead of paying taxpayer money on a celebratory lunch this past Tuesday August 20th with around 30 Aurora City officials to “congratulate the evicting of people through the condemnation of the building”, we should be using taxpayers money to protect taxpayers from corporate landlord abuse.
The Nome property is not an isolated instance of abusive landlords in Aurora. There are many reports of substandard and dangerous living conditions across the city. If the City continues to side with the landlord by allowing the tenants to fall into the streets, you are sending a strong message to Aurora residents that reporting abuse will end in them losing their housing. This will create a race to the bottom in the city.
We demand that the former residents of Nome St not be kicked out to the streets once again this Tuesday the27th and instead receive another 30 days of hotel stay while local organizations and legal agents continue supporting residents and pursuing restitution.
Feel free to edit the text and add a personal story as to why this concerns you in your communications. And yes, that lunch DID happen… We should not allow our elected officials to celebrate the eviction of their constituents!!!
ALSO, DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS IN RELOCATING:
Additionally, HAND is actively collecting donations to support the residents who have yet to qualify for any sort of assistance, and it this point, who may need help with hotel extensions… So far, we have raised $4,065. Please consider donating with the phrase “1568 Nome St” in one of the following ways listed at this link https://housekeysactionnetwork.com/get-involved/ or reach out for other methods of donating. If you are connected to an organization that has funding that could support these families, please let us know!
CALLING FOR HOST FAMILIES!
We are also interested in connecting with you if you have interest in hosting a family or individual temporarily while we continue to search for housing, so please reach out with questions or for more information!
Together, we fight to protect our most vulnerable and are stronger as one!!! ¡¡¡El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido!!!
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