Bedbugs Swarm Shaw Women’s Home
In the last six months, the residents of the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA in Shaw have put up with a sudden change in management, threats of eviction, and 54 lawsuits—most eventually dropped—for nonpayment of rent . Now the residents of the single-room-occupancy facility—mostly older disabled and mentally ill women—are getting eaten alive by bedbugs.
“The whole building is infested,” says Sharon Rhoner, president of the newly formed Phyllis Wheatley Cares Tenants Association and a four-month tenant of the building. Rhoner says tenants have complained about the infestation to city agencies to no avail. Resident Vera Arrington says her bedbugs got so bad, she started treating them with a heavy-duty spray she got from the fire department.
Antonia Mathos, 53, who has lived at Wheatley since 2000, has had frequent complaints about the upkeep of the building. “These people refuse to do needed repairs,” Mathos says, referring to Vision Realty Management, the company that recently took over responsibility for the building.
“Landlords are legally required to keep the building in compliance with the housing code, and it’s not,” says Rebecca Lindhurst, an attorney for nearby non-profit Bread for the City who has represented several tenants.
Sam Lowery, a Vision Realty partner, says his company is aware of the bedbug problem and has hired a pest-control company, but he says it takes everyone’s involvement to kill the bugs. “This is an ongoing problem,” he says. “We’ve asked that the treatment in place be buttressed by the residents with cleanliness and housekeeping.”
Lowery says a list of recommendations was sent out in April that included notes on laundry, vacuuming, and keeping rooms sanitary.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Alex Padro says he used to refer women who had no other place to go to the YWCA for temporary housing. Now, he says, he’ll think twice about making any referrals. “The board has abdicated its responsibility,” he says.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
We just found out Phyllis Wheatley YWCA at 901 Rhode Island Avenue NW passed inspection by DCRA Robert Gary and no fines were impossed. Only cosmetic repairs were done. The holes in ceiling and floor in the closets of the historic section remain open with cables running through them where bugs can come and go freely remain open. Women continue to sleep on the floor becuase of building wide bedbug infestation and beds were infested when they moved. The air conditioner which provide heat in the winter were not repaired. Portable air conditioners were put in some room but need to be emptied every 4 hours or the go off. Mildew\Mold starting to come through spackle. Women continue to be bitten from bedbugs and sleep deprivation is prevalent. We will be protesting again and the Mayor’s office is aware of DCRA passing inspection on the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA and no fines. We are outraged. Who has DCRA in their back pocket? Who owns this property? How does this type of abuse continue for years?
September 7th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Sharon,
I am so proud of you! I knew you’d establish yourself as a leader in you choosen endeavors. Congratulations Baby!!!
See you later,
Sharolyn
September 8th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Whoever is responsible for the maintenance of this YWCA
should get a move on and do something to stop this
appalling living situation. We treat our pet dogs better
than this. Whoever can help these residents, please
help now.
September 11th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
http://bedbugger.com/2007/06/28/washington-ywca-infested-more-elderly-low-income-residents-being-left-to-itch/
copy the above to see yet another blogg on the deporable conditions in the Washington, DC Phyllis Wheatley YWCA.
September 15th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
It truly saddens me that we people allow such conditions to any human being. What does it take to resolve these conditions???? We all must be kept informed as to the responsible agencies helping/taking care of all problems at the YWCA. What a wonderful job your doing Sharon…God Bless You.
September 15th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
The above reply is from Rhode Island
November 5th, 2008 at 1:39 am
I just sent an email to the President Elect Barak Obama to check into the problems that still exists at the YWCA. Elderly women not being taken care of by the care takers correctly, bugs still in the YWCA,….leaks still in the roof…and yes, DCRA passed the inspection yet again…God Help these women as I no longer live at the YWCA…still problems with heat and it’s winter now. The air conditioners in the rooms have not all been fixed yet. I’m sure the 1st Black YWCA’s Phyllis Wheatley would turn over in her grave to see the neglect of senior citizens, disabled and low income women. Wasn’t the grant moneies over the last 10 years enough to fix all of these problems…and this is a historic site..let’s do something about these problems.