Aurora, Colo. — An advocacy group for people experiencing homelessness held a rally Saturday at a troubled Aurora apartment complex entangled in a fierce debate over Venezuelan gangs.
Residents of Whispering Pines, 1357 Helena St., fear their building may be shut down by the city and they will have nowhere to go. Housekeys Action Network Denver advocate V. Reeves urged them to unite and demand security deposit assistance if their building is shut down.
The city already has shut down one property owned by CBZ Management on Nome Street. Two other CBZ properties in Aurora, including Whispering Pines and others on Dallas Street, also have been targeted by the city for cleanup. Aurora has told landlord Zev Baumgarten he must clean up the properties, get staff back on site and sell them or they will be condemned.
Staff forced to flee apartments
But according to Baumgarten, the sites have fallen into disrepair because staff have been forced to flee. According to a police report provided to the author of this article by Aurora City Council member Danielle Jurinksy, Baumgarten was assaulted Nov. 14, 2023, at one of his properties. According to the police report, Baumgarten checked on a unit that was supposed to be vacant and found about 20 young men drinking and playing loud music. When Baumgarten told them no one was allowed in the apartment, they young men punched Baumgarten about 20 times, according to the report. Another building staffer witnessed the assault, according to the police report. She was threatened by one of the men with a gun, according to the report. She said that the resident wanted his security deposit back. He had broken into the apartment before his move-in date, according to the report.