Edge at Lowry residents move out of closed Colorado apartments, and some are finding better options
The Edge at Lowry apartment complex at 12th Avenue and Dallas Street in Aurora has closed. Last month, a Colorado judge granted an emergency court order that said the five remaining buildings presented "an immediate threat to public safety and welfare if allowed to remain open."
In January, the city hired Property Solutions Colorado to serve as a temporary property administrator and lead the closure process. They completed substantial repairs to the buildings to make them habitable while connecting qualified residents to relocation resources.
Residents were required to provide their names and contact information. They were also required to provide a form of identification so Property Solutions Colorado could perform background checks and assist residents with housing applications and potential employment.
In the end, 85 residents across 23 apartment units received a total of $94,375 in direct assistance.
According to the city, residents who received assistance were Haitian, Venezuelan, Colombian, Mexican nationals and U.S. citizens.
CBS Colorado has been following the Rey family, Colombian immigrants who lived there, for months. Yamid Rey had been giving his rent money to a stranger who was threatening his family. He complied and it eventually ruined his credit.
He'd been touring apartments and desperate to sign a lease. Though he's been a good tenant, Rey had nothing to show for it.
Jeff Kline, COO at SMG Property, saw Tori Mason's story with Yamid.
"My wife and I were home watching the news. We saw your story about Yamid and his family, and I just couldn't sleep all weekend," said Kline.
He reached out to the city and other agencies offering support, explaining that his group had available units and was willing to work with displaced residents. He never heard back.
Kline reached out to Tori and she connected him with Yamid. Days later, Yamid and his family were in a new apartment.
"We worked very closely with him on deferring the deposit until he was able to get back on his feet," said Kline. "They're good people. I love this part about my job."
CBS Colorado was there were Kline met Yamid and his wife for the first time, in their new apartment he helped them get. The warm apartment had no bed bugs or roaches. His wife offered Kline coffee, made from the water of their running faucet. It's a basic feature they haven't had in weeks.
"I'm happy, but also sad because I know there were people there struggling more than we were trying to find a place to live," said Yamid.
The city says much of the criminal activity was due to "absentee ownership." But the closure isn't the end of their fight with CBZ management.
While the city continues to pursue legal action, the Rey's are grateful someone acted for them.
The next Aurora Municipal Court hearing on the Criminal Nuisance Action, the civil process that led to the Edge at Lowry's closure, is March 3. The city has also filed seven criminal cases against CBZ's principals for unresolved habitability problems, code violations and neglect.
The city will place a lien on the properties to recoup any costs associated with the closure and any assistance provided to qualified residents.
