Maria Rivera hopes that no one ever has to endure what she suffered a few years ago when she lived in Chicago. Once a cockroach crawled into her ear while she was asleep, and days later, it laid eggs inside her ear canal. Now she lives in a Fair Haven elderly complex — and the cockroaches are back.
The terrifying memory of the acute pain and intense suffering that she had to endure in Chicago and her subsequent recovery have come up again since she discovered that the place where she currently lives — the first floor of Fair Haven Elderly Apartments, a residential complex for elderly and disabled people located on 25 Saltonstall Ave. — is a breeding ground for roaches and mice. They multiply everywhere with the potential risk of diseases for the residents. Pictured are some of the cockroaches that were trapped in two of the traps that were set up in one of the apartments.
(This article, the second of two parts, originally appeared in Spanish in La Voz Hispana. Read the first story here.)
In our prior report we recounted the acute problems faced by the elderly residents of this residential complex. Among them were the vandalism and theft of cars in the parking lot, the personal assaults suffered by the residents, the drug trafficking, the lack of security, and the total instability of the complex. In this report we bring to public attention another serious problem that assails these elderly people and which has them desperately trying to find the help of City Hall, the Department of Health, and other government agencies.
We attempted to contact the management of the residence in New York in multiple occasions, but were unsuccessful.
“Look, I have to use ear plugs when I sleep. I am afraid that another roach will crawl into my ear,” said Rivera, who has several different health problems. (She chose not to be photographed.)
When we visited her, she showed us two roach traps filled to the brim with dozens of these insects, some still alive and trying to escape the glue that kept them in the traps. “These I caught today, and I am going to keep them until the health inspectors come,” said Rivera.
Cockroaches are not the only vermin around. She also told us about the incessant infestation of mice and rats that walk around the halls of the building and inside of the apartments as if they owned the place.
“In October 2007, I got a new bed with a new mattress, and it has already been destroyed by the mice, which made huge holes in it,” Rivera explained as she slowly moved around her room with the aid of her walker. To confirm her claim, she told us, “I have photos, but I still haven’t developed them…”
The proliferation of vermin in this residential building presents a grave danger to the health of those who have to endure living with it. The seniors of Fair Haven Elderly Apartments are aware of this danger. For this reason they want to make their plight heard, so that the appropriate health agencies will be informed of their situation and can take immediate action against this plague.
Excrement
“The people who live on the first floor are extremely sick. Some of us are diabetics, some have lung problems, and others have all sorts of problems with other essential organs. That means that we are vulnerable to bacterial infections,” stated some of the residents as they spoke with us about some of the other problems they face, as is the case of the septic refuse that accumulateswhen the pipes get obstructed.
“About five or six times a year, excrement overflows the pipes and fecal matter comes out of the bathroom and kitchen sinks, the tub, and the toilet. There have been times when I have gotten out of bed in the morning, and when my feet touch the floor, I realize that there is excremental water all over the apartment. It’s horrible…”
According to one of the residents who spoke with us, some of the residents of the Fair Haven Elderly Apartments who have been courageous enough to denounce the atrocities of the building complex have been threatened with eviction. “But, they should try,” said one of the spokesperson of the committee.
“It’s one thing to say that they will evict us, but it’s an entirely different matter to actually do it,” he said with determination.
They are sick and tired of so much injustice and having their rights and dignity ignored without any one to defend them. They are ready to go to any lengths to be heard so that one day they’ll be able to live in a place that is more hygienic and safe. As one of the elderly residents stated, “We are alone in this struggle since politicians only pass by during election time, but then they forget…” Later, they accepted with determination the battle that lies ahead of them. “Why are we making our own decisions about this matter? Well, that’s because there’s no one to represent us and speak for us. There’s no one helping us. There’s no one.”
The elderly also spoke with us about the lack of police presence in the area, which makes it an even more dangerous place. “Here, if something violent happens, we call the police, but they take a long time to come. Yet, if there’s a slight problem between one of the residents and Arco management [which runs the buildings], the police appears immediately.”
Everyone’s Hope
The elderly residents of Fair Haven Elderly Apartments want to send the city a message about their extreme circumstances, which are complex and terrifying.
“We ask the city to carry a comprehensive inspection of the buildings. We want the city to finally pay attention to what is happening here. The infestation of vermin and the overflow of fecal matter is hurting us. Many of us are especially vulnerable due to the fact that we are already struggling with serious illnesses. The critical condition of the building is only aggravating our other health problems. We are elderly people with weak immune systems and we can easily fall pray to bacterial infections. We ask for the help of the city as soon as is humanly possible. We will wait here. If no help comes, we will try to remedy this situation by going further with this matter…”