DENVER — Residents at Welton Park Apartments have been using port-a-potties and mobile showers while their water has been out for nearly a week.
Tenants were notified on Monday that a pipe burst, leading to flooding on two floors in the building. Through Saturday, they didn't have any water at all. Cold water was restored late Saturday evening. Residents at the 195-unit building are still waiting on hot water to return.
"This is most of my dishes from the past week, since again, the hot water has been off," said Charlotte Cornish, opening her dishwater. "This has all just been chilling since Monday. So I'm sorry about the smell of what is coming out, but this is the reality of what we have been dealing with."
Cornish has lived at the building, which is managed by Greystar, since 2020.
The building has some residents who pay market value for their units and some who receive assistance through Section 8 or other affordable housing programs.
"If they would have had a proper emergency plan in place addressed with the pipe system, we would have been fine," Cornish said. "They had no idea what to do with us, and now that it has happened, since we are a lower-income building, they don't see it as a big problem."
On Sunday, community leaders held a news conference addressing their concerns. Former Denver Public Schools board member Auon’tai M. Anderson organized the event. Brother Jeff streamed the conference on his Facebook page, with Denver City Council members Shontel Lewis and Darrell Watson in attendance as well. Residents also had the opportunity to speak about their experience.
"It's unacceptable," Anderson said. "When residents go without basic, fundamental necessities such as water, they should not be charged the full amount of rent for the remainder of the upcoming month.”
During the news conference, the group made multiple demands of Greystar: prorated rent for all 195 units for April; publicize the maintenance report with results from the water testing to ensure the water is cured and safe for use; an apology from Greystar management to all residents, and a commitment to an environmental equity training.
On Sunday, a representative from the Fair Housing Center was at the building, handing out flyers and notifying residents of their rights under the Fair Housing Act as well as the Warranty of Habitability.
Welton Park Apartments shared this statement with 9NEWS:
“Unfortunately the repairs to the broken pipe took longer than anticipated. We have communicated with residents that there will be a rent concession applied to their April rent. We understand the inconvenience this has caused, and while it wasn’t the ideal situation, we did bring in portable bathrooms with showers, made vacant units available, delivered drinking water and provided meals. The Denver Water Department tested the water today and communicated that the water is safe to drink.”
In an email sent to tenants, forwarded to 9NEWS, Greystar said they expect the water to be fully functioning early in the week.
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