Residents of Fitzsimons Apartments in Denver metro area forced out after Aurora deems building uninhabitable

Police in Aurora patrolled the property of the Fitzsimons Apartments on Tuesday morning as the deadline arrived for evicted residents to vacate the premises. The apartment complex located at Colfax Avenue and Nome Street, home to dozens of low-income residents, was forced to close by the City of Aurora.

Those families were given less than a week to figure out where to go next after the City of Aurora served tenants with an eviction notice last Wednesday.

The apartment complex, located at 1568 Nome Street has been deemed uninhabitable due to a history of poor conditions and longstanding code violations, according to the city. Some of those violations included rat infestations, trash piles and a lack of heat or electricity. 

Last September, the Aurora Police Department sent a nuisance letter to the property manager and owner of the complex, threatening to close the apartment building for criminal nuisance, which reflects more than 100 calls for service in 12 months from October 2022 to September 2023.

On Tuesday, officers arrived just before 7 a.m. to begin carrying out evictions. The residents have been upset they were only given days notice to find a new place to live. 

Code enforcement officers and police officers went door to door to make sure each apartment was cleared. Piles of trash in the parking lot were removed by crews as residents threw out what they couldn't take with them. 

Last week, the city gave 50 families living at the apartment complex notice to vacate. Many families pleaded with authorities for an extension due to the lack of services available for those living at the apartments. 

The City of Aurora is offering security deposit assistance as well as hotel vouchers and bus passes for the residents as they look for new places to live. 

Once the apartment is vacant, code enforcement officers will board up the windows and doors.