Students evicted from three apartments in an off-campus townhouse three weeks ago have not been allowed to move back in, and said city officials have offered no explanations.
"I've been doing horribly on tests just because I'm making a thousand phone calls a day ... we're trying to get back to normal," said senior Richard Oberman, who lived in the upstairs apartment of 1016 22nd St. before being evicted from his home last month. "It's been a nightmare."
Michael Akin, GW's director of D.C. and Foggy Bottom/West End Affairs, said last month that GW officials had been examining the townhouse since the University received complaints from area residents about noise and trash in July.
After the complaints turned into concerns that the house was overcrowded and in violation of safety codes, GW sent warning letters to the residents, increased University Police presence in the area and used its "clout" to urge the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to investigate. The DCRA then evicted eight current and former students from the townhouse on Oct. 26.
"The issue is not with the students, the issue is with the property," said Akin, who added that last week marked the first time he had met with any of the townhouse's residents. "We don't want them to be out of housing. The students told me ... they're in a hotel, they have finals coming up. It's not the best situation, and I sympathize with them."
The residents said they had no advance warning from the city about the closure of the townhouse and that officials offered no guidance about how to address the problem.
"What they did was just slap an orange sticker on the door saying, 'Get Out,'" said senior Jordan Wallack, who also lived in the building's upstairs apartment. "They didn't tell you what to do, they didn't say who to contact when you do it or if you have any questions call this number. They just left an out-of-service number."
Residents also said DCRA inspectors who looked at the house a day before the eviction told the students they had nothing to worry about.
"I've been doing horribly on tests just because I'm making a thousand phone calls a day ... we're trying to get back to normal," said senior Richard Oberman, who lived in the upstairs apartment of 1016 22nd St. before being evicted from his home last month. "It's been a nightmare."
Michael Akin, GW's director of D.C. and Foggy Bottom/West End Affairs, said last month that GW officials had been examining the townhouse since the University received complaints from area residents about noise and trash in July.
After the complaints turned into concerns that the house was overcrowded and in violation of safety codes, GW sent warning letters to the residents, increased University Police presence in the area and used its "clout" to urge the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to investigate. The DCRA then evicted eight current and former students from the townhouse on Oct. 26.
"The issue is not with the students, the issue is with the property," said Akin, who added that last week marked the first time he had met with any of the townhouse's residents. "We don't want them to be out of housing. The students told me ... they're in a hotel, they have finals coming up. It's not the best situation, and I sympathize with them."
The residents said they had no advance warning from the city about the closure of the townhouse and that officials offered no guidance about how to address the problem.
"What they did was just slap an orange sticker on the door saying, 'Get Out,'" said senior Jordan Wallack, who also lived in the building's upstairs apartment. "They didn't tell you what to do, they didn't say who to contact when you do it or if you have any questions call this number. They just left an out-of-service number."
Residents also said DCRA inspectors who looked at the house a day before the eviction told the students they had nothing to worry about.
