The economy, homelessness, motels as shelters, and bed bugs

nobugsonme — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:45:25 +0000

The Boston Globe reported Wednesday on how record numbers of families are now being sheltered in motels.

In October 2007, 27 families were housed in Massachusetts motels. The number rose steeply in the last year, as the economy collapsed, many became unemployed, and foreclosures skyrocketed. The number of families sheltered in motels went from just over 100 in May 2008, to 751 families (including 1,000 children) in 39 motels as of June 2009.

This is necessary because there just aren’t enough places to rehouse people right now. But one effect is that people are living in places not equipped for cooking, bringing up children, or other aspects of daily life.

One of the problems people rehoused in motels often face, according to the article, is bed bugs:

The city’s health department is concerned about bedbugs, after complaints from residents and reports from school nurses that children from the [Cambridge Gateway Inn] motel appeared to have suffered bites. Sam Lipson, director of environmental health for the Cambridge Public Health Department, said officials worked with the motel in February to address the problems and have heard no new complaints. But hotel guests might be reluctant to complain for fear of being forced out, he added.

“They should feel confident that reporting the presence of bedbugs won’t put them at any risk,’’ Lipson said.

Of course, bed bugs are a problem now in many shelters as well as in permanent housing of every kind (from subsidized affordable units to fancy condos and mansions).

But the state does need to be accountable for keeping people safe and in appropriate housing.

And people living in any kind of housing should not have to worry they will be kicked out if they report the presence of bed bugs.

You can read more here.Similar Posts:

University of Manitoba student rooms infested with bed bugs

nobugsonme — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:41:12 +0000

Several dorm rooms at the University of Manitoba are infested with bed bugs; they’re undergoing treatment, and residents have been relocated to temporary accommodation.

While university officials here are “taking the issue very seriously,” according to CBC, they’re also assuring the media that bed bugs are “not a health risk” (as officials almost always do).

But universities should take note: bed bugs are stressful. They cause anxiety and make people lose a lot of sleep. Bed bug bites can cause intense itching and sometimes more serious allergic reactions. They can make people miserable.

Magali Leveille told CBC News, bed bugs made her want to drop out of her program at the university:

Leveille moved to Winnipeg from Montreal to brush up on her English through a program at the university that includes accommodations at the campus. The program brings in students from Canada and abroad that want to improve their English language skills.

Some say the bed bug experience has ruined the program.

“With me, I just want to go home, and I’m just upset about that, and it’s enough,” said Leveille. “The bed bugs, it’s really not funny, and I don’t want to be in the program anymore.”

[Emphasis added.]

Note: we have heard from many students dealing with bed bugs on the Bedbugger Forums.

And infested dorms are often the best case scenario; students living in private rented accommodations often have less hope of seeing the problem sorted out; they are often new to the world of rented apartments, don’t know where to turn for advice, and usually receive no assistance from their colleges in dealing with deadbeat landlords.

Some are thinking of dropping out of their programs. Some are failing exams. Some are suffering from extreme anxiety and depression.

If that doesn’t ring parents’ and university administrators’ warning bells about bed bugs, I am not sure what will.

See the full article here: University of Manitoba residence fumigated for bed bugs.Similar Posts:

Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com » depression

The economy, homelessness, motels as shelters, and bed bugs

University of Manitoba student rooms infested with bed bugs