HARTFORD, CT – Residents of a Wethersfield Avenue apartment complex held a rally Tuesday to demand that city officials respond more quickly to their complaints about unsafe living conditions.
The Wethersfield Tenants Union, along with other community organizations, called on Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and the city council to hold landlords accountable for hazardous living conditions, including rat and roach infestations, leaking ceilings, uncollected garbage, and inconsistent heating.
Residents took reporters on a tour of the apartment buildings located at 267-271 Wethersfield Avenue and managed by Arlington Management LLC. Tenants allege that their landlord does not return their phone calls and as a result, basic services aren’t being carried out. Garbage was strewn throughout the apartment building, and overflowed from the one dumpster in the backyard. The third floor roof leaks so badly that water often reaches down to the first.
Resident Victoria Ramos spoke with CTNewsJunkie to share her story.
“They don’t clean, they don’t fix, they don’t care,” Victoria said when talking about the landlords of her building. She pointed out that both back doors are broken and don’t lock, leading to a host of issues.
“I was almost attacked once. I’ve seen people in the building shooting up, I’ve seen illegal activity in the building. I’ve seen people sleeping in the building.”
And why doesn’t she move?
“I can’t. I’ve been trying to look for something, but I haven’t been able to find anything,” she said. “The ones I found are even worse than this. They’re more expensive and have the same issues I’m having here.”
Victoria’s complaints are not uncommon, and as a result tenants across the state have begun organizing. Tenant unions have popped up all over the state, and not just in large cities where one might expect poor living conditions. Unions have also formed in Bloomfield, Hamden, and other municipalities.
Connecticut has responded to some of the housing challenges in the last few years. Last October, Senate Bill 998 was passed, which included provisions designed to protect tenants from excessive late penalties and application fees. Still, residents face an uphill battle in having their housing needs met.
“We all have the right to a healthy and affordable home. We are human beings. We are not machines for others to make money with our need for housing,” one of the protesters said to cheers from the gathered crowd.
We reached out to Arlington Management for comment and did not receive a response.
