Dozens of Greeley residents with disabilities pushed out of apartment complex
More than 20 residents with disabilities in Greeley are on the hunt for housing after their landlord, Adeo, notified them of plans to renovate and repurpose a complex for disabled individuals this summer.
Many residents at Hope Apartments in southern Greeley were told in December that the company was planning to shift their catering to clientele with brain injuries, leaving those with other disabilities without a place to live.
"A lot of people have come here with the idea that this would be their forever home," said Doug Peters, a resident of the complex for a decade who was badly injured by a fall.
"I have lived here for 19 years," said Deb Walters, a resident who lives with cerebral palsy.
Both Walters and Peters rely on wheelchairs to get around to most of their activities each day and both enjoy the independent living style that Hope Apartments had provided them.
The assisted living element of the complex was dissolved in 2020, according to Peters, but he still enjoyed many of the conveniences the complex offered.
The Hope Apartments not only cater to those with disabilities, but they also provided low-income housing to an underserved population.
However, in December, residents were notified by the landlord of their plans to switch the property to cater to individuals with brain injuries.
"I had my letter on my door on the 7th of December," Walters said.
Then, in 2023, residents were officially notified that the company did plan to renovate the complex to accommodate those with brain injuries, leaving no space for residents like Walters or Peters to stay, as confirmed by a release from the company.
"I've cried," Walters said. "I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know where we would find a place. That is a very scary situation."
"Most of us were in shock," Peters said.
Both Peters and Walters said they recognize that there is a major need for more housing for individuals living with brain injuries.
The company told CBS News Colorado that individuals with brain injuries are the most underserved community north of Denver, Adeo's executive director writing that their company has been the only one serving that population north of Denver for more than two decades.
"I've contacted over 18 apartment complexes and I am on the waiting list for eight to nine. Some of them I didn't even bother getting on the waiting list because they were two-to-three years long," Peters said.
Both Peters and Walters need accommodations like bathrooms that have showers that are wheelchair accessible.
While many complexes do offer those amenities, the number of units in each complex with those features is low and often already leased for years.
In a statement to CBS News Colorado, Adeo's executive director said they are actively working to assist the residents in finding their next homes, saying three have already found their solutions. Two have found apartments while one other has chosen a nursing home.
The company added they are working with the county and others to make sure each resident will have a place to go.
Peters and Walters said they would've preferred if the company built a facility specifically for those with brain injuries so that both populations could be properly served
