Driven from their home by rats, family finds safe haven

Their south Ottawa apartment so overrun by rats that bylaw officers refuseto enter, Crystal Tully and her two young children have now found temporary shelter ina 250-square-foot motel room paid for by the city.

The familyfled their home inGreelyon Oct. 3, after a pest control expert confirmed the dwelling had become a health hazard, and shouldn't be entered without a respirator.

This was well beyond a couple of rats.- Garry Carbonnell, exterminator

"Every surface had been covered with rat fecesand urine," saidGarryCarbonnell, who volunteered his services after seeing a CBCstory about Tully'splight.

"This is one of the worst situations I've ever seen."

Carbonnellsaid the rodents had burrowed into every wall and chewed wires, creating a fire hazard in addition to the health hazard.

"I advised her to find somewhere to go immediately. This was well beyond a couple of rats."

Health fears

"That scared me, because I thought, Oh my God, we've been living in this and breathing this in," said Tully, who'd been living in the apartment for 10 months with her children, 7 and 9.

"We've been sick non-stop. Is that why? Was I making my family sick because I didn't know?"

Following Carbonnell's warning, Tullyobtained a letter from nurse-practitioner TawnyaShimizu.

"Given the exposure to mould and rat feces there is the possibility that these have gravely affected her health," Shimizuwrote.

"[The family]requires immediate safe and appropriate housing."

Armed with the exterminator's report and Shimizu's letter, Tullywent to Housing Help. The housing agency helped her secure a room, paid for by the city, in a motel serving as overflow accommodation for families in Ottawa's shelter system.

Wait for housing begins

Tullywasn'tallowed to bring any of her belongings to the motel over contamination fears. Everything they now own, including clothing and toys, has beendonated by friends and strangers.

Tully'snow waiting forone of the city's subsidized housing units a wait that could take up to twoyears.

The city's bylaw department conducted an initial inspection of the apartment Sept. 12,and ordered the landlord to fix the rat problem.

At the time, the departmentdid nothing to address the health risks that Carbonnelllater flagged.

The city has now ordered the landlord to undertake an air quality test before its officers will be allowedback into the apartmentto continue theinvestigation.

The property owner, LucianoAnnibalini,did not respond toCBC'srequests for an interview in time for publication.

'Was I making my family sick?'

6 years ago

Duration 0:36

Crystal Tully and her children have been moved into a hotel at the city's expense because of a rat infestation in her rental apartment. A pest control specialist said the home is unsafe to enter without special clothing, goggles and a respirator.

'A shocking number'

The city's director of bylaw and regulatory services, Roger Chapman, said property standards officers "do not make the determination as to whether or not a building is habitable."

Instead, he said,the protocol requires an expert be called in to make that decision. The city has not explained why that wasn't done in Tully's case.

Tullyand her children now joinan estimated 200familiesliving in motel rooms as part of Ottawa's shelter overflow system.

Thatnumber doubled between 2016 and 2017 andso has the cost of the system.

"It's a shocking number," said SheaKiely, executive director of Housing Help.

"But there's nowhere to put people, andwe keep getting more and more coming that need housing."

Most of the motel families are among more than 10,000 waiting on a city list for subsidized housing.

Kiely said Tully'ssudden path to homelessness highlights the dwindling options for families on limited incomes.

Enduring trauma

Tullysaid the motel room gave her a place to escape to, but it's no long-term fix. There's no kitchen, so she washesdishes in the bathroom sink.

But at least it's clean and safe, and her children won't wake up to rats in their bedroom.

"I haven't seen them this happy in quite a while," Tully said.

Still, the trauma endures, especially for her 9-year-old daughter.

"You'll hear a neighbour will turn on the tap and you'll hear a squeak, and she loses it. Loses it. Won't get off the bed. She's scared, and I tell her, 'We're not there, it's OK, you know they're not here. You don't have to worry about it anymore.'"