Aurora Families Lose Apartments After Building Code Violations

AURORA, IL — Dozens of Aurora families will be without a home Sept. 9 after the apartments they were living in were repeatedly deemed unsafe for habitation. The apartments, located in the old YMCA building on Garfield Avenue, housed elderly, disabled and low-income residents and received a number of building code violations over the years.

Resident Ashley Cluchey told Patch that most residents had just paid rent when they found out the apartments they live in would be shuttered for good. "This is absolutely devastating to us as we just paid rent and now we will have nowhere to live," Cluchey said in an email.

In a post on the group "What's Happening in Aurora, IL?," Cluchey said residents have been living in a hotel "since the last fire almost two weeks ago." A sign posted on the outside of the building at 460-480 Garfield Ave. dated Aug. 23 reads that residents must vacate immediately due to "fire, egress, and alarm deficiencies."

She said they had to pack up and leave hours later.

She added that residents have been staying in a hotel paid for by building management, but were told on Sept. 3 that they would need to find new lodging by Sept. 9.

Cluchey shared images of three other violation notices that declared the building unsafe throughout August. One cited "no working smoke detectors" and said the building was "ordered evacuated" and "no permission to reoccupy building has been granted."

According to Chicago Tribune, Garfield Aurora and Wheaton-based T2 Capital Management had a hearing Thursday to discuss the ongoing code violations. During the hearing, it was reportedly confirmed that the locks on the building will be changed Sept. 9.

Representatives from T2 Capital Management and Attorney Daniel Olswang, who represented Garfield Apartments at the hearing, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

Garfield Apartments and T2 Capital Management are scheduled for another hearing Sept. 12.

In the meantime, Cluchey and other residents are looking to the City of Aurora and the building management for answers — and to the greater Aurora community for help.