METHUEN — At the Days Inn in Room 610, tenants reported bites and itchy skin to city Health Department workers who observed signs of rodents in the unit during an inspection of the property on Sept. 18.
Inspectors also found that the bathroom exhaust fan wasn’t in proper working condition and the unit’s carpets, curtains and mattress were stained and unsanitary.
In Room 223, peeling paint, cockroaches and fruit flies were discovered, along with mold on the bathroom ceiling and the air conditioner, and missing or broken window screens.
And in nearby Room 205, two adults and two children live with rodents, fruit flies, and holes in the walls and the floor. The door lock was not in proper working condition and window screens were missing or broken there, too.
In total, the Days Inn, which serves as a shelter for the homeless and immigrants on Pelham Street, has been cited for 347 violations identified in a one-day inspection on Sept. 18, according to documents provided to The Eagle-Tribune by Methuen’s Department of Health, Human Services and Inspections.
“It’s not in the condition it should be,” said Methuen Mayor Neil Perry. “There’s got to be a better way.”
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a right-to-shelter state for qualifying families. In addition to other criteria, homeless families must be sheltered if they are at or below 115% of the federal poverty level and have below $5,000 in assets.
The Community Teamwork organization supports the families through the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The organization is set to receive nearly $212 million from 2022 through 2032.
For those at the Days Inn, that money is used in part to pay for permanent and temporary nightly rates. The hotel has 113 rooms. Most of the units, like those described above, house whole families.
As of September, the most recent data available, 177 adults and almost 200 children live at the hotel. Owner Ashok Patel receives payment of between $172 and $326 a night per room through Community Teamwork.
Patel refused to comment to an Eagle-Tribune reporter at the hotel during the inspections, and also refused comment for this article when called prior to publication.
“Please do not call this hotel ever again,” he said.
Mike Mazzucca, the Northeast regional vice president of development for Wyndham, which is the franchise owner of the Days Inn, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
“For us, we want to make sure that we’re not telling people that this is what we think of them and that they should be in something substandard,” said Kelly Townsend, head of the Health, Human Services and Inspections Department. “We want people to be living in habitable, healthy places so they can progress with their lives.”
The Sept. 18 inspection was carried out to check the status of health, fire and building codes following a shutdown of the hotel’s dining services the week prior. Townsend said that the violations in the dining room were found during a routine inspection.
While checking the dining room, officials heard more complaints from residents, which prompted the visit on the 18th.
Inspectors found signs of rodent activity, issues with ventilators and water damage, missing window screens, unsanitary carpets, holes in the walls, and more.
A follow-up inspection is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to evaluate compliance with the orders issued so far, according to Health, Human Services and Inspections Department documents.
“I believe anybody who is homeless should be taken care of,” Perry said. “Just not like that.”
Councilor at Large Nicholas DiZoglio called the Days Inn conditions something he “wouldn’t want anybody living in.” He added that the issues are probably not the safest for children or people expecting children.
Perry said penalties and fines were issued to Patel in connection with the violations. They will accumulate each day the violations continue, though the city tries its best to work with those who are cited, Perry said.
Perry told the City Council on Oct. 2 that he drafted a letter to Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll seeking help and additional grant money to support the families at the Days Inn.
Councilor at Large Nicholas DiZoglio called the Days Inn conditions something he “wouldn’t want anybody living in.” He added that the issues are probably not the safest for children or people expecting children.
Perry said penalties and fines were issued to Patel with the violations. They will accumulate each day the violations are not taken care of, though the city tries its best to work with those who are cited, Perry said.
Perry told the City Council on Oct. 2 that he drafted a letter to Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll seeking help and additional grant money to support the families at the Days Inn.
“This isn’t working,” Perry said. “If the idea is to find equitable housing for people who are displaced, I’m all for that. What’s happening here is not that.”
Council Vice Chairman Joel Faretra asked that a motion be made on the Oct. 16 agenda for those who wish to sign the letter to Healey and Driscoll.
“That is something we need to stay on top of the state on,” said Central District Councilor James McCarty.
City Council and other officials have previously expressed their dissatisfaction about how the families at The Days Inn have been treated.
West District Councilor Mike Simard said he wants to visit the Days Inn with other councilors to “see what we can do to make them comply.”
“It’s only going to get worse,” Simard said. “The only one who’s making out is the innkeeper who got a full rate, and it’s disgusting.”
Follow Monica on Twitter at @MonicaSager3.
Follow Monica on Twitter at @MonicaSager3