Kate Reynoldson’s health took a drastic dive after she moved into her Welch Avenue apartment.
She was one of roughly 35 Ames residents living in an unsanitary apartment complex at 228 and 232 Welch Avenue which she said didn’t have workable appliances.
Reynoldson was placed in the Welch Avenue apartments in September 2023 after leaving a physically abusive, 25-year relationship.
She said her therapist likened her Welch Avenue living quarters to an abusive relationship due to the stress and mistreatment she’s endured.
“I’ve been through hell here,” Reynoldson said. “I’ve lost weight, my mental health has gone down. I have a panic disorder that has gotten extremely worse (living here).”
She is one of a handful of tenants still residing in the condemned apartment complex as they search for new homes. The city served a “notice to vacate” to all the tenants at 228 and 232 Welch Avenue in May with an initial “move-out” deadline of June 30.
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City of Ames says Welch Ave. apartments aren’t up to code
The Ames Inspection Division found property owner Greg Wilson and his 19 apartments on Welch Avenue in violation of several city codes in May. The units were littered with broken windows, leaks, electrical and plumbing issues, and missing smoke detectors.
When Reynoldson moved in, her unit had no electric socket covers, a broken toilet, and no working air conditioning or heat. She was still without working A/C when she received the city’s notice. Black mold is under her floor, and she could not clean her apartment walls without rubbing off the paint.
The city gave Wilson until June 30 to bring the buildings up to code, which he did not do, forcing the tenants to seek residence elsewhere.
Reynoldson sought support from the Bridge Home and nonprofit Home Allies and hopes to have a new home soon.
In the meantime, she and other Welch Avenue tenants are continuing to speak out.
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City of Ames gives eviction notice
The City of Ames delivered the “reminder to vacate” notice to tenants, noting that it would be a violation of the municipal code “to continue to rent the property, and all occupants will need to vacate the structures.”
The notice also said that “it is very unlikely” that the owner could bring the building up to code and that the tenants should “begin seeking alternative housing arrangements immediately.”
The Letter of Compliance at both properties was revoked on June 29, prohibiting Wilson from continuing to rent the property. The move also means residents legally can’t inhabit the building more than 30 days after June 29, according to Ames Building Official Sara Van Meeteren.
“Each person at the property after that time, as well as the owner, would be in violation of the Municipal Code and subject to a citation,” Van Meeteren said. “It’s important to remember that the property owner can also begin the eviction process at any time.”
She said Wilson has not made any attempts to fix the issues cited in the letter. The City of Ames said they are working with its legal department to decide whether to pursue legal action.
Wilson did not respond to the Tribune’s request for comment.
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Tenants live in poor conditions
Kaden Main, a former tenant of the Welch Avenue apartments, lived with holes in his ceiling, which caused some damage.
“There was a cat from the unit next to me that was able to get up into the ceiling, peek his head through the holes and scream,” Main said. “He would also pee and poop up there, and when the inspector came, they found crystalized urine in the closet.”
Main moved into an upstairs apartment in February 2022 before switching to a downstairs unit. He said he had to clean and gut the apartment himself to rid the place of “rotting food and cat stuff.” His unit also had missing light fixtures and no working stove.
Issues left to fester
Main said he had contacted the landlord and maintenance manager many times, who would fix the problem in the “cheapest way possible.”
“I had a leak in the ceiling when I was living upstairs,” Main said. “The maintenance guy came in and basically screwed in a makeshift gutter so the water would drip into a bucket, and he left it like that for weeks.”
Main said the maintenance worker returned before the inspection and removed the gutter but didn’t fix the leak.
“When it rained, it leaked all over my bed and ruined it,” Main said.
Reynoldson’s bed was also ruined by leaks in her ceiling, and she even lost her kids’ baby pictures. A chair leg fell through her living room floor after the maintenance manager came to fix it, which she said took two weeks though the visible mold wasn’t removed.
“All he did was rip up the old carpet and then go over it with paper backsplash,” Reynoldson said. “It’s not finished or even taped down.”
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Tenants look for new housing
Some of the former Welch Avenue tenants have secured new or temporary housing.
Main found a new apartment, which he said is a “100%” improvement from the unit he was renting on Welch Avenue.
“It’s through an actual leasing company, not one guy who does everything (like Welch),” Main said.
Former Welch Avenue tenants Charlie and Linda are now living at a motel in Story City. The Salvation Army helped secure the room, which was difficult because of their rescue cats.
Charlie said since he and Linda are disabled, their mobility is limited, which means they’ve had trouble reconnecting with their Ames friends, and even running errands has its challenges.
“We don’t have access to laundry or groceries,” Charlie said. “We have money and food stamps to get groceries, and we have nowhere we can walk to except a dollar general, and if we do that we’ll be out of money and food stamps in a week.”
Reynoldson said the displaced renters need help not only monetarily but also finding landlords. She would like to see more property owners give the residents a chance and implored the city to step in.
“(The city) needs to be calling a council meeting with some of the rental companies and agencies,” Reynoldson said. “Even if every agency or landlord were to take one or two of us, let’s try that. Sign a three-month or a month-to-month lease, and if it doesn’t work, then kick them out. I’m fine with that, because I know I can make it just fine.”
City council allocates funds for displaced renters
The City of Ames doesn’t run emergency housing facilities, but contracts for services through local non-profit agencies who provide professional support. Funding has been handled by the Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team (ASSET) since the 1980s.
The Ames City Council has made it a priority to offer services to unhoused people, recently dedicating $25,000 to ASSET to help the displaced Welch Avenue residents.
The funds can be used for anyone needing to relocate.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Displaced Welch Ave. tenants still searching for new homes
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