TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Dozens faced eviction today at the Ocotillo Apartments and Hotel after a program, called Happy Times, stopped funding their housing.
Residents received this note from management, asking them to leave the apartment complex promptly at 11 a.m.
The City of Tucson prepared for a mass eviction by bringing together 15 community agencies available for help at the apartments.
“What we wanted to do is start to coordinate early and get a plan together and have as many resources as possible here that may need a place to go, a stable place to go once they got an eviction,” said Mari Vasquez, a Multi-Agency Resource Coordinator with the City of Tucson.
One of the tenants being asked to leave, Manuel Esparza, had been promised resources from the Happy Times Program. He described how he started receiving resources.
“At first they just pulled up on me. I was at a bus stop and offered money and a free hotel so, yeah,” said Esparza.
Esparza had been at the apartments for 7 months. He said he was one of the first tenants to be part of the program.
“When I first came, there was only like five of us, and they would be more eager to get more people so they would give you like 500 dollars if you go and find ten people and get them in the program, but you had to make sure they had access, you had to make sure they were homeless, really they didn’t know if they were on drugs or not,” said Esparza.
He said when the program grew, he received less money, until over a month ago. The money and food the program provided completely stopped.
“They only served us like two times a day and it was just cereal and pizza every day. Them program people just up and left on this hotel, we knew it was going to come down to an end,” said Esparza.
On the inside of the complex, local civil rights groups and lawyers knocked on doors, telling residents how they should move forward.
“Right now we’re telling them they have a legal right to stay unless a court action and a court order is saying otherwise. These people are not guests at a hotel by my belief and looking at the landlord-tenant act, they’re tenants,” said Civil Rights Lawyer Paul Gattone.
It’s unknown exactly how many residents stayed, but the City of Tucson was able to provide 80 tenants with assistance and housing.
The management of the apartments declined to speak, and KGUN 9 will continue pursuing a response from Happy Times to learn more.
RELATED: People evicted from Southside's Ocotillo Apartments find shelter in Santa Rita Park
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
