AURORA, Colo. — Dozens of families have less than a week to leave their Aurora apartment complex that has been condemned over safety concerns.
This week, the city announced it is closing the building, located at 1568 Nome Street, near Colfax and Peoria.
The city of Aurora said the building has several unresolved code violations that management has failed to address.
It’s a problem that residents at the complex first told Denver7 about last year.
There is also crime concerns at the property, forcing the residents to vacate their homes by Tuesday.
Many of the tenants who live at the building are new immigrants, who said getting into housing was a challenge to begin with.
Edwin Macedo, who is new to the country, said he struggled when he first arrived to the U.S. — moving from different shelters and eventually found himself living on the street in Denver.
“We used to live in an encampment under a bridge," he said, in Spanish, “This is the only roof I have right now."
He and his children are now left wondering where they will go next.
Thursday, Aurora Public Schools (APS), along with other organizations, held an emergency meeting for families at Paris Elementary to try to help those who are impacted.
APS Public Information officer, Corey Christiansen sent Denver7 the following statement:
"We are working with the City of Aurora and many partner organizations to support families in the affected apartment complex. With our school year just starting, we know this is a difficult challenge for many of our families and we will continue to provide as many supports and resources as possible. It is critically important that our students continue to attend school every day, so that they are in a safe place to learn and to receive breakfast and lunch. We are sharing this information with all of our impacted families."
With time running out, tenants are speaking up, saying they've worked hard to keep up with the rent.
“We don’t want to go to a shelter, we have been through too much to go back to a shelter and give our kids that life," said tenant, Irany Perez, in Spanish, “We are demanding our human rights, we are humans and this is not fair.”
Perez said trying to find housing elsewhere has been difficult, “They don’t want to accept us at other buildings because we have open leases here at Nome Street," she added.
In a Thursday news release, the East Colfax Community Collective — working on behalf of families — said while it agreed with the city of Aurora on who is responsible for the building's condition, it sought to delay its closure by 2 months to give families more time to relocate.
'Nome St. Tenants agree with the city of Aurora - there is a history of longstanding problems like rodent infestations, sewage backups, no heat, and no electricity. The slumlord and property management are culpable for the deterioration of the building - not the innocent families paying thousands in rent (in some cases, over $2000). The residents agree with the City that ultimately, the responsibility to remedy the habitability of the building is on the owner,' said the release.
The city knew about the deplorable conditions at the building, according to their own records, since March 8th, 2022, but they chose to give tenants only 6 days to find an alternative housing option, said a spokesperson with East Colfax Community Collective.
Along with seeking to find more time for residents to find a new home, the group demanded residents be connected with community resources such as housing vouchers and rental assistance.
The city of Aurora on Thursday afternoon responded in a news release arguing management 'is obligated under the Aurora City Charter to enforce the city code and look out for the safety and welfare of all residents. 1568 Nome St. is no longer suitable for human habitation.'
Ryan Luby, deputy director of communications for the city of Aurora added 'it would be irresponsible for the city to allow 1568 Nome St. to remain occupied for another two months in its current state.'
'City staff are already working tirelessly with community partners, organizations and other members to connect residents of 1568 Nome St. with housing resources,' the release continued.
Earlier this week, CBZ officials admitted to Denver7 that its property management team has not been on site and claimed it was due to safety concerns.
A spokesperson for the city of Aurora said the city has been pursuing legal action against CBZ’S property manager, Zev Baumgarten.
City officials said residents have until Tuesday to vacate.
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