London and Middlesex Community Housing rep quits over cockroach issues

A tenant representative on the London and Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH) board has quit, saying not enough is being done to deal with bed bug and cockroach problems in the building where she lives.

Tammy Brooks, 43, has lived at 304 Oxford St. for seven years and served as a tenant representative on LMCH's board for two years.

This week she submitted her resignation, saying the board needs to develop a more coordinated, pro-active approach to bug spraying in the 32 properties they manage.

"I think they need to go floor-by-floor and unit-by-unit," said Brooks, whose apartment received an initial spraying last week. "But if they don't treat the other units, it's just going to keep continuing to come back. They need to inspect units, they need to do assessments."

The scheduling and preparation for spraying appointments are complicated for Brooks because she is legally blind. Macular degeneration that began when she was a child means she has difficulty viewing anything small, including bugs.  
She was able to spot cockroaches in her building on April 13 and reported the issue.

"They were big enough that I could actually see them," she said. Staff were able to spray her unit one week later on April 20, but she had to pack away her kitchen items ahead of a second spraying, which she said hasn't yet been scheduled. 
Brooks has decided to stay in a hotel until the treatments are complete.

"Right now, I have no rental unit to access and as a blind person, that's a serious issue," she said. "I need to be able to cook and eat and right now, I can't do that in my unit."

LMCH communications specialist Angela Serra said bed bugs and cockroaches are a challenge at many properties, but said the Oxford Street building has not been flagged as a "high needs" site for pests.

Serra said tenants with pest issues are encouraged to call a dedicated maintenance line for pest complaints, and outside pest control companies are called in when complaints are received.

While she couldn't speak specifically about Brooks's case, Serra said tenants are typically asked to be out of their units for a six-hour window for spraying. A second appointment is often scheduled after the first spraying, depending on what the company recommends.

Serra also said buildings undergo regular inspections but those do not include automatic inspections of tenant apartments. She also said LMCH staff follow the recommendations of the pest control companies and do their best to accommodate tenants' schedules and special needs.

Brooks's neighbour, Jayne Tingley, complained about cockroaches in her unit last August but says crews didn't come for an initial spraying until Nov. 20. Part of the delay was caused by a scheduled surgery and she was recovering at the time.

"It's creepy to be seeing this infestation in front of you," she said. "It's not fun."

Brooks said the complaints-based process for responding to bedbugs and cockroaches isn't working well. She said some tenants are afraid to complain, while others have language barriers and other issues that make it difficult for them to navigate the system.

Brooks is circulating a survey with her neighbours in the building, asking if they'd consent to regular inspections for bugs in their apartments.

"The bugs are in the walls so they can go between units," said Brooks. "Right now, some people are putting tape over the vents."

Brooks says she and a group of neighbours are also looking into raising the issue with the Landlord and Tenant Board.