In response to his attendance at a Twelve Elgin tenants meeting to discuss the issues facing those who live at the non-profit apartment complex, the building’s board of directors sent Sudbury MPP Jamie West an email regarding “concerns raised about conditions at our property.”
The email, signed by the board of directors of Twelve Elgin Housing Corporation and copied to Luxor Management Inc. president Jay Mancini, was provided to Sudbury.com.
“I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of Twelve Elgin Housing Corporation (“TEHC”), the employees of TEHC, and our contracted property management company, Luxor Management Inc. regarding concerns raised about conditions at our property, as well as your public comments related to both our property, and the recent media coverage from Sudbury.com,” the email begins.
Attached to it is what the board called a “Summary of Pest Control Efforts at Twelve Elgin Housing.”
From the summary: “The records demonstrate that Twelve Elgin Housing Corporation engaged in consistent and professional pest control efforts throughout the four-month period leading up the City of Sudbury’s Order to Remedy 4.15 Vermin Control,” the last paragraph reads. “The persistence of infestations in some units is attributable not to a lack of management action, but to the inherent challenges of treating pests in a multi-unit residential setting, particularly where tenant preparation or cooperation was non-compliant.”
But Steve Tysick, leader of the Twelve Elgin Tenants Association, said Sudbury.com’s coverage definitely wasn’t the first time the board had heard from the tenants about the issues they were facing. Tysick provided Sudbury.com with a letter he sent to the board on Sept. 25, 2024, detailing what he saw as fire code violations, verbal abuse from staff at the building, as well as accusations of theft against the former maintenance manager.
Tysick asked for a meeting with the board to discuss the issues. They confirmed receipt of the letter, “requesting an emergency meeting related to several allegations and claims against Twelve Elgin Housing Corporation staff, Luxor Management, and the Board,” but added, “At this time, we will not be accepting your requested meeting with the Tenant's Association.”
The board also denied Sudbury.com’s request for interviews in advance of our initial story about the building's insect infestation, violence and alleged bullying at Twelve Elgin.
The Twelve Elgin building is geared to seniors and has 156 units, some of which are rent-geared-to-income and others rented at market rate (average $1,000 per one bedroom, said the tenants.)
Formerly owned by the Christ the King Parish Development Corporation, the building became the property of Twelve Elgin Housing Corporation in 2022.
The directors and officers of the new corporation are listed as: Karla Allen, Franca Bortolussi, Austin Bouchard, Michael Sabo and Elvia Simon.
Sudbury.com was unable to find contact information for Allen, Sabo and Simon, so we left Facebook messages. We left a phone message for Bouchard, which was not returned. We reached Bortolussi, but she declined to comment.
That is, until we received the email copied to us. “We wish to clarify several important points that have not been reflected in the recent media reports,” it reads.
Order to Comply
As of Aug. 8, the building is facing a bed bug infestation that’s resulted in a bylaw order to comply with “required actions”, threatening up to $100,000 in fines if the Twelve Elgin building is not rid of the pests by Sept. 8.
Of course, that’s not all the tenants told Sudbury.com about their life at the building they once thought of as their own small community, and hope to again.
Overwhelmed by garbage, drug use and people who are homeless sleeping in common areas, tenants have found weapons and faced violence.
As Sudbury.com reported in previous coverage, a tenant has alleged the previous maintenance manager sexually assaulted her and he is now facing charges.
On Aug. 14, a female tenant told us she was assaulted in the lobby; at the meeting that night, another man said he “got punched out on the fifth floor and nothing was done about it.”
“And still today, we found two weapons in the stairwells,” he told the group.”I think that’s worse than having bed bugs.”
They say they’ve found weapons all over the property, including a hatchet found in the stairwell, and evidence of drug use, and those actively using, all over the building.
As to their handling of pest control issues, the board’s email to West states pest control contractors “visit the property weekly (every Wednesday)” that each visit included inspections and, where required, treatments for active infestations.
Their “examples” include: “May 28, 2025: 10 inspections, 1 bed bug treatment, 1 cockroach treatment,” as well as “July 30, 2025: 4 inspections, 5 bed bug treatments, 2 cockroach treatments.”
They also included the technician's findings, which states that “many units inspected were found to have no signs of infestation,” that active infestations were "identified in certain units and treated with targeted pesticide applications.”
The board then noted the “challenges with tenant co-operation” as reported by their technician. “Units not prepared for treatment (clutter, unwashed bedding, furniture not moved)” and “Refusal of treatment or denial of entry, including aggressive behaviour towards technician.”
The tenants we spoke with admitted they are frustrated and that can be reflected in their interactions, but denied "aggressive behavior.”
They spoke of quickly infested furniture, even newly purchased, followed by the need to throw them out constantly, living out of rubbermaid containers and keeping all food in bags. Washing machines are expensive, they said, and washing every item of clothing, towels and bedding gets very expensive.
They also say it’s hard to get everything ready, because of the physical toll it takes on the seniors. Many use mobility devices or wheelchairs and are not capable of what is asked. They told Sudbury.com they have never received an offer of assistance from Luxor or the board.
In addition to pest management, the board states in the email to West that they “wish to emphasize” the following:
- We enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy toward violence, harassment, or threatening behavior toward residents, staff, or board members.
- The building is a restricted access property, with door entry secured by key for tenants only. This measure helps protect residents and staff by limiting unauthorized access (see attached Fall/Winter 2024 and Spring/Summer 2025 Newsletters urging tenants to do their part related to building security).
- The corporation employs part-time staff (20 hours per week) dedicated to cleaning and maintaining common areas. While some cleanliness challenges arise from tenant behaviour (clutter and lack of tidiness), we continue to allocate staff resources to maintain shared spaces and improve the building environment.
- Residents have established channels to report maintenance needs, safety concerns, or other incidents. These reports are logged, tracked, and addressed promptly to ensure accountability and timely resolution. We consistently encourage residents to raise issues through these established reporting channels (see attached Fall/Winter 2024 and Spring/Summer 2025 Newsletters advocating for tenant’s timely reporting of pests to best address the concerns).
- In direct response to tenant safety concerns, TEHC invested approximately $500,000 over the past few years to secure the previously unenclosed parking area. This included the installation of exterior fencing, enclosing of the parking garage, enhanced exterior lighting, a camera surveillance system, and security signage.
- Since 2022, TEHC has invested over $1.8 million into building improvements, upgrades, and resident safety measures. This reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving the property.
- We are dedicated to improving housing conditions and ensuring compliance with all applicable health and safety standards.”
The email also says Sudbury.com’s reports “were published without adequate research or fact-checking, and without any effort to obtain or review the extensive documentation that clearly exists,” the board wrote, without specifics. “Publishing one-sided and misleading accounts not only damages the reputation of this organization, but also undermines public trust in the integrity of journalism itself.
“The factual record provided here demonstrates the full context, and we trust it will be reflected accurately and fairly in future reporting.”
Response to Tysick and the Tenants Association
“Specifically, and in response to your concerns over the building's fire safety, the building undergoes regular fire system and process checks, by trained professionals, to ensure that it is compliant with the Ontario Fire Code,” the board wrote to Tysick last year. “Our most recent inspection was September 12, 2024, and our most recent fire drill was October 8, 2024.”
They said “In common with many buildings of its size,” Twelve Elgin will regularly need to update, repair, and maintain its fire systems due to minor deficiencies, or "non-critical deficiencies".
“As noted in the September 12, 2024, Inspection report, there were seven noted non-critical deficiencies, each of which has been addressed through quoted and/or ongoing work orders to be completed as soon as possible,” said the letter to Tysick. “There were no noted deficiencies in the October 8, 2024 fire drill.”
“As for the remainder of the incongruous allegations and claims in your letter, we would like to remind The Tenant's Association that any matters or concerns related to Twelve Elgin Housing Corporation that fall under the purview of the Board and by extension, Luxor Management, need to be submitted in writing with supporting documentation and/or information to support the claims, so that we may conduct an appropriate investigation.”
“We would like to further remind the Tenant's Association that any tenant witnessing matters related to criminal activity, security breaches after hours, or other illicit activities should contact the Greater Sudbury Police Service or 911 immediately for urgent matters.”
The last paragraph reminds tenants that “in keeping with the overarching theme of safety/fire safety herein,” and that the board would like to remind the tenants that fireworks are prohibited.
The order to comply remains in place at the building, listing Sept. 8 as the deadline for completing the required action.
Jenny Lamothe covers vulnerable and marginalized populations, as well as housing issues and the justice system for Sudbury.com.