DENVER — Two years after Denver7 Investigates first exposed dangerous living conditions at The Felix Apartments, now called The Raven, tenants say little has changed even after city fines, inspections and a criminal charge against the owners.
Residents describe living without heat and hot water for days or weeks at a time, boiling water on stoves to bathe children and wash dishes, and living with infestations and trash piled outside the southeast Denver complex.
"Over Martin Luther King weekend, we had no heat, no hot water,” said tenant Tiffany Bernal, holding her 9-month-old daughter, Candy. “I think that The Raven is just completely abandoning their tenants.”
According to the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, the complex has received 24 citations totaling $49,743 in fines from 2024 to the present.
In 2024, there were 16 citations worth $42,746, with $5,999 still unpaid.
In 2025, there were seven citations worth $5,998, with $500 unpaid. So far this year, the city has issued one citation for $999, which is pending payment.
The department says it has logged 94 tenant complaints during that time.
In 2024, there were 62 complaints, 30 of which were founded.
In 2025, there were 17 complaints, eight founded.
So far this year, there have been 15 complaints, six founded, and two still being investigated.
Common violations include lack of heat and hot water, structural problems with walls, floors, ceilings, roofs and windows, trash and solid waste buildup, insects and rodents, and plumbing and electrical hazards.
The city has also placed three liens on the property totaling $33,246, which remain in place while some fines are unpaid or in collections.
The Denver Metro Tenants Union says fines are not fixing the problem.
“Where is the enforcement? Where are the people that are supposed to protect us?” asked Eida Altman, the union’s director. “It took two and a half years to even begin legal action, and we’re still in the same place.”
Altman supports requiring unlicensed or noncompliant landlords to place tenant rent into escrow accounts that can only be used for on-site repairs.
Tenant Rachel Vargas said she went seven straight days without heat this month before it was restored, but her hot water still does not work.
“I just want hot water is all,” she said, standing next to a pot boiling on her stove. “I just feel like I’m being ignored. Like I don’t matter.”
On Wednesday, Denver7 showed city officials video of overflowing dumpsters and dog waste at the complex.
Danica Lee, DDPHE’s Director of Public Health Investigations, called the conditions unacceptable and promised to follow up.
“I see violations of the dumpster area,” Lee said. “If I lived in that apartment complex, I would not feel like I had a clean and safe environment for my family. We’ll be following up and addressing that violation.”
Lee said the department is revising its residential health regulations this year “for exactly this reason” to better hold landlords accountable.
Bernal says tenants are still waiting for that accountability.
“We want to hear from you,” she said, addressing city leaders directly. “We want to know what action is being taken because this cannot be the only building that is facing these conditions.”
The Raven remains unlicensed and is facing a criminal citation under its legal name, Loft 9 Apartments, for operating without a license. The next court date is scheduled for Feb. 24 at 8:30 a.m.
The Raven did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Denver7.
