In less than 72 hours, an apartment complex in Aurora that is home to dozens of low-income people will be closed.
After the City of Aurora served tenants with an eviction notice on Wednesday, these families had less than a week to decide how to proceed.
The apartment complex at 1568 Nome Street is at risk of expropriation because it is in poor condition and has long violated building codes, according to the city.
Last September, Aurora Police sent a harassment letter to the property manager and owner of the complex, threatening to close the apartment building for criminal harassment, amounting to more than 100 emergency calls in 12 months from October 2022 to September 2023.
In a press conference Thursday, the families asked City Manager Jason Batchelor to extend the deadline to Aug. 13, saying that is not enough time to get approval for another complex. The City of Aurora says it cannot do that, and given the poor condition of the property, it would be irresponsible.
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Section 22-606 of Aurora’s City Code sets out specific requirements for the sanitation process, stating that any building or site deemed unsafe for human habitation by the City Manager or his authorized representative must be marked as such and vacated by residents within the time specified on the sign.
“Such a notice shall be deemed to constitute an evacuation order and shall entitle the person to vacate the building or premises within a maximum period of 15 days from the date on which the notice is posted.”
The impact of this decision is felt most strongly by the tenants.
Shayra Caez has lived in the complex and says she has worked for CBZ Management property manager Zev Baumgarten in the past.
Baumgarten will face a jury trial in Aurora Municipal Court beginning August 27. He is accused of violating building and traffic regulations.
On Saturday, Caez shared her concerns with her family, including her disabled mother Inez, about having to sleep in her car as a last resort.
“We have to stay outside, we only have Sunday and Monday,” said Caez.
Even though Caez is a U.S. citizen, she is having a hard time figuring out where to go next and getting an apartment. She can’t imagine how much harder that will be for people without basic rights.
Although they have nowhere to go yet, Caez and her family have stored most of their belongings.
“Everyone is struggling,” Caez said.
On the second floor, Colombian migrant Maria Ortega was seen sweeping the floor of the apartment she will soon have to vacate.
There were packed bags on the floor and she still had no idea where her family was going.
“It makes me sad because we have nowhere to go,” Ortega said in Spanish.
She is one of many tenants who do not have a lease in her name. She claims a man sublet the apartment to her family seven months ago and demanded $1,000 for rent and utilities. It was a deal for Ortega and her family, since they have no steady job or income.
Since the family struggles to make ends meet in the U.S., they often pay their rent in cash. This man would then pick her up on the first of every month. She says it is now difficult to prove she paid the rent because she has no paperwork or receipts. Many families say they feel taken advantage of in a country where they thought they were safe.
This has made it difficult for them to get help from the city and bail assistance.
“We have two little girls and my daughter is pregnant; it is very difficult,” Ortega said.
Even though the ceiling in her bathroom was crumbling, this was her home. She had to deal with the poor conditions and violence in the neighborhood because she and her family couldn’t afford anything else.
However, she is now in survival mode, knowing they have to leave by Tuesday morning.
“Most of us are thinking about just setting up tents on the streets because we have no other choice,” Ortega said.
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Fortunately, this is not the case with a tenant on the fourth floor who suffers from brain cancer and claims to be Nadia.
Nadia moved into the 1568 Nome St. apartment complex in May 2022.
“It was quiet; it was honestly different than now,” said Nadia.
She claims that the situation quickly took a turn for the worse in October 2022.
It is now a four-story building that is noisy and dirty and the elevators don’t work. Nadia has to climb several flights of stairs to get to her apartment.
“I do this every day while I’m sick and trying to get to and from work,” Nadia said.
Like many of her neighbors, Nadia notices more and more vermin in her apartment.
“Until recently, there were never any problems with vermin,” said Nadia.
In her opinion, the increase in crime and violence is even more constant and worrying.
“I don’t feel safe anymore. I used to feel like that when I first moved in,” says Nadia. “Now I’m terrified to leave, I’m terrified to come home, I’m terrified to even be in my apartment because anything can happen.”
While people are cleaning up, packing up and moving out, Nadia has good news: she finally has a place to go.
“I just want peace,” said Nadia.
The City of Aurora says it will provide security deposit assistance and then reclaim it from the property owner.
Nonprofits like the East Colfax Community Collective are helping connect people with the Aurora Flex Fund.
The biggest challenge, the nonprofit said, is getting residents to apply, qualify and get a lease to receive the assistance, as the city of Aurora makes payments directly to landlords.
But this is hardly possible in a short period of time. The city is currently not planning to open accommodation for these families.
