Opinion: Homeless Hotel Diary: Busted door, windows at Fusion Studios in Denver, internet spotty

A tenant in a rage at Fusion Studios threw rocks through the windows of the community van.Photo byDavid Heitz

In this week’s installment of Homeless Hotel Diary, broken glass again leads the lineup. Someone smashed a window in the lobby of Fusion Studios, the Colorado Coalition for the homeless property where I live and pay a third of my income for rent. This same person shattered the door to the case manager’s office and threw rocks through the windshield and side windows of the community van. Multiple residents told me who did the damage – the same person allegedly committed all three crimes – and last I knew that person still was at large. I could not get any official reports from Coalition staff. They were not available to speak with me Friday.

Also Friday, the internet went out again and has been out ever since. Staff internet has been out too. This is curious because a Coalition official continues to maintain there is something wrong with my computer, not the internet. But multiple residents here complained all weekend about the internet being out. Several residents have said they would be interested in going on the Mandy Connell Show, like I did, and discussing the substandard conditions. The internet is my livelihood and these outages have cost me hundreds of dollars. Nobody seems to care that I work, enjoy my gig, and do not appreciate the unreliable internet connection. I will buy my own internet connection next payday. My dad is rolling over in his grave. He would tell me to get a lawyer and “make the dirty thieves pay” if they cannot provide the internet guaranteed in the lease.

Internet guaranteed

As you can see on the Fusion website, the Coalition promises to not only provide wi-fi access, but that it is “in room.” The list of amenities also includes a computer lab, which was replaced long ago with a Coalition official’s office. Tenants who do not have a computer have no way to apply for jobs or benefits online without the help of their case worker.

Photo byFusion/Colorado Coalition for the Homeless website

Good luck finding your case worker. Perhaps they left early Friday because the internet was out.

What happened to the internet money?

I sent an angry email to Coalition officials and City Council members Friday afternoon about the internet. The city recently gave the Coalition $1 million to, in part, improve the internet connection at Fusion Studios. My City Council member, Shontel Lewis, responded to the email in angry language, alleging I had somehow obtained her secret, personal email address. She said she had asked me before not to use that address. That is true, but it is built into my computer and pops up on auto-save. The first time she ever emailed me she did so from that address, which is why my computer defaults to it. It is not some grand plan to disrespect her, as she alleged. I know she's tired of me. She used to work for the Coalition. She said she would not want her emails accessed as part of a Colorado Open Records Act request.

My mother always said, "David, if you tell the truth, nothing bad can happen to you." As it pertains to the internet situation, I believe the truth is eventually going to set me free.

I am at McDonald's as I write this story. The internet has been out 48 hours at Fusion. For everyone. That's the truth that nobody wants to hear.

I continue to be frustrated with Fusion Studios, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the City Council. But I have accepted the fact the Coalition is never going to accept personal responsibility for the internet, and it is never going to be fixed.

In the meantime, inebriated and mentally ill residents at Fusion continue to destroy everything in sight, much like the man who assaulted me with a lead pipe at Fusion July 2. He took out several hallway lights and a giant chandelier.

An angry tenant busted the glass door to the case managers' office at Fusion Studios.Photo byDavid Heitz

Also, the washers in the laundry room were out of service for two weeks. When I asked maintenance about it, they said they did not realize the machines were broken. Nobody complained in two weeks?

Maybe nobody washed their clothes.