Sep. 22—A blighted, crime-plagued apartment complex in Española that faced an uncertain future — as did its remaining tenants — has a new owner that vows to make it more livable.
Manzana Villa Española Valley LLC, a company formed by local residents, bought La Vista Del Rio Apartments for an undisclosed sum.
Crews already have begun fixing up the complex, which has fallen into bleak disrepair since it was built in the late 1970s, becoming a hub for criminal activity, squatters and drug abuse.
The complex will be renamed after the company — the Manzana Villa Española Valley Apartments.
CEO James Gomez hopes that aside from a new name, he can give the complex a new life.
"I've seen it over the past 20 years slowly fall by the wayside," said Gomez, who lives near the complex. "Criminals flocked to it. So it was definitely time for a change there, not only for myself but for our neighbors, and just the rest of the community."
Gomez estimates it will cost $3 million to $4 million to renovate it. Many of the units are in dismal condition — barely livable, he said.
"It was gut-wrenching for me, walking through some of the apartments to know there actually are people that live like that," Gomez said.
He said he grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Compton, near Los Angeles. Now that he's in a strong financial position, he wants to help those who are struggling.
He wouldn't say what he paid for the 49 units, other than it was more than the $500,000 the city of Española had agreed to pay the former owner, Wyoming-based Bosley Management, before backing out of the deal.
Santa Fe County later expressed interest in buying the property, but decided against following through.
County Commissioner Justin Greene said he was "cautiously optimistic" about new owners taking over the troubled complex.
Having local owners who are invested in the community is better than an out-of-state landlord who seemed mostly interested in collecting rent, Greene said.
"It seems like they're the right people, at least in their hearts," Greene said. "But we'd like to see it in action."
Roughly a dozen apartments are still occupied, Gomez said, adding he plans to freeze the rents for those tenants. If they live in subpar units, he will move them later to refurbished apartments at no additional cost, he said.
Gomez said he is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue receiving subsidies for the remaining tenants for 180 days, and after that, he's on his own.
Greene is among those who say the federal agency failed to conduct regular inspections to ensure proper maintenance and repairs were done.
A grim pattern has emerged in recent years of USDA-subsidized housing being poorly managed, he said. That includes the Santa Clara Apartments, he added, referring to another Bosley-owned complex in Española that shut down in November, forcing residents to find new housing.
"There should definitely be some accountability," Greene said.
John Bosley, the former owner, said he felt relieved to sell the apartments he'd had for 37 years. They had become increasingly difficult to manage, he said.
"The main challenge was the trespassers, homeless people, that destroyed the units," Bosley said. "We can't self-police; it's against the law. I know if you shoot people, it causes you problems. How do you fight back?"
Gomez said after he renovates some apartments, he will see if he can persuade a couple of people from law enforcement to live there to keep out crime. He also plans to hire security guards to monitor the complex.
Aside from making it safer for the current tenants, the upgraded complex will offer much-needed affordable housing, both for low-income and middle-class residents, he said.
"Everyone is going to benefit from better housing," Gomez said.
Holly Shrewsbury of Project Moxie, a Colorado-based affordable housing consultant, wrote in an email a community coalition has worked over the last several months to ensure residents of the complex have stable, affordable housing. The group stepped in after the residents were threatened with eviction, an action that would have violated USDA rules for the complex.
The coalition includes elected officials, such as Greene, Española City Councilor Denise Benavidez and New Mexico's congressional delegates, as well as members of the Rural Housing Task Force, Shrewsbury wrote.
"The coalition looks forward to working with the new owners in ensuring stability for the residents," Shrewsbury added.
Gomez said an assessment showed the buildings are structurally sound. They just need to be remodeled.
The immediate goal is to make the complex safe for families, both by eliminating crime and cleaning up the grounds so a child won't accidentally step on a syringe or mistake discarded pills for candy, he said.
A crew has begun working in the units, tearing out old carpets, removing trash and cleaning up debris and human waste left on floors, Gomez said. He plans to fumigate the apartments, something that hasn't been done in at least a decade.
Gomez said he will conduct more rigorous screening of new tenants to keep out criminals and troublemakers.
He has encountered traces of former tenants' tough, drug-addicted lives. Perhaps the most disturbing was a syringe in a baby crib.
