Rats, bedbugs and duct tape: It’s no fun to stay at the YMCA
posted: March 7, 2008 | category: Uncategorized
tags: housing, news, poverty
Image source: Boston Globe
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From The Boston Globe
There have been rat droppings on the old, musty carpet and frequent mouse sightings near holes in the pocked, plaster walls. For months, exterminators have fought an infestation of bedbugs, which left at least one client with bite marks so bad he was treated at a hospital. Watermarks stain the aging ceiling, and some window frames are so old and ill-fitting that duct tape was used to stop drafts. In bathrooms, many of the urinals, toilets, and sinks are out of order.
Officials at the Cardinal Medeiros Transitional Program say they have complained about the conditions for years, but they contend that the YMCA Greater Boston, their landlord in the century-old building on Huntington Avenue, has ignored them while investing in top-of-the-line equipment for its gym. They accuse the Y of neglecting the 63 formerly homeless men who live there after an effort to terminate the program’s lease failed four years ago… »continue reading article
Not very Christian of the Young Men’s Christian Association, huh? Wow.
** Thanks to Fred Gregory for passing this along.
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2 Responses to “Rats, bedbugs and duct tape: It’s no fun to stay at the YMCA”
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Hi! I run a website about bed bugs.
Since you’re an advocate for the homeless, I wonder if you have come across bed bug- infested shelters in your community? Do people seem aware of the problem?
Bed bugs are spreading like crazy — from mansions and single-family homes to apartments and shelters — no one is immune. It does seem like homeless shelters are especially hard hit though.
I haven’t heard. Some of my homeless and formerly homeless friends read this blog. So hopefully they’ll comment or email me and let me know if there are bed bugs in our local shelters.