Elderly, disabled fight filth, bedbugs

Court case drags on as residents cope with filthy building

Ivan Moreno, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 15, 2007 at midnight

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"This is never going to end," Kevin Grimsinger said as he exited a Denver courtroom in his wheelchair Thursday.

The 39-year-old, who lost his legs to a land mine while serving in the U.S. Army in Kosovo, and his fellow residents at a downtown affordable housing building have wrangled with corporations as their rooms became infested with bedbugs and trash collection was interrupted because contractors weren't paid.

For almost a year, the elderly and disabled residents of Halcyon House have been left wondering who is responsible - Urban Inc., the Greenwood Village management company, or American Housing Preservation Corp., the Maine-based company that owns the building at 1955 Arapahoe St.

They were hoping for some answers Thursday when the manager of Urban Inc. appeared in court after being cited by the city for lack of pest control. But the case was continued until June 28, so an attorney representing the building's owner can be present.

"It's just like a continuous running circle," said Grimsinger as he maneuvered his wheelchair down a narrow hallway of Denver Environmental Court.

In the meantime, the Denver Department of Environmental Health may issue additional citations to Halcyon House's owners for unsanitary conditions, said Bob McDonald, division supervisor for Public Health Inspection.

Michael Murphy said he quit as maintenance supervisor at the building out of frustration over deteriorating conditions.

"Plumbing, bedbugs, the building stopped being clean. These people are handicapped, and most all of them have health issues," said Murphy. "They deserve clean housing at least."

Last month, Grimsinger headed a meeting with about 20 residents of the 16-story, 197-unit building to share their concerns.

A tour revealed filthy carpet in the hallways, a broken fire alarm, and traces of blood on one floor's elevator button that Grimsinger said was from a fight that week. He also said the landings on some of the stairways reek of urine from homeless people who manage to get in the building.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which subsidizes 70 percent of the residents' rent, knows about the bedbug problem, said Marcie LaPorte, director of the Denver Multifamily Hub.

"A worse-case scenario would be to not pay the subsidy part of the rent, but we would like to do everything we can before it gets to that point," LaPorte said.

Cutting off the subsidy would only worsen the situation because there would be less money for the upkeep of the building, said Cris White, chief operating officer at the Colorado Housing and Financing Authority, which ensures residents qualify for the assistance.

Mark Shulman, managing director of Urban Inc., said the "challenges at the Halcyon House are many."

Chief among them is the widespread bedbug infestation, which prompted the city to take the matter to court.

"There was simply no funds for which to pay" the pest-control company, Shulman said. The company that owns the building stopped providing the money in late April, he added.

American Housing Protection Corp. did not a return a call for comment Thursday.

Denver Environmental Health officials said Urban Inc. resumed pest-control operations after they were cited May 14. But since bedbugs can never be completely eradicated, the spraying has to continue indefinitely to keep them under control.

Grimsinger said if things don't improve, residents will picket in front of their building.

"We deserve the same treatment as anybody else in this city," he said.

What are bedbugs?

Bedbugs are wingless insects the size of a poppy seed when they're hatching and about ¼-inch long as adults. They feed on warmblooded animals. They do not transmit diseases but can cause intense allergic responses after repeated exposure.

• Where do they live?

Because they are flat, they can hide in small crevices. They can be transported from one place to another in clothing, pillows, used furniture or luggage.

• How do they spread?

After feeding, female bedbugs will lay eggs in their daytime refuge of cracks and crevices. An immature bedbug may take several months to mature to an adult. Adults can live for up to a year.

• Ways to prevent bedbugs from getting into your bed:

• Mattresses can be encased with special bags, and once sealed, the bugs inside will die.

• Place the bed frame away from the walls and tuck in the blankets and sheets so they don't touch the floor.

• Put the frame legs into dishes or cups containing mineral oil.Source: Harvard School Of Public Health Www.Hsph.Harvard.Edu/Bedbugs/

morenoi@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2895

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