EAST LIVERPOOL — The death of a Fawcett Apartments resident this week prompted city officials to request a meeting with the director of the Columbiana-Metropolitan Housing Authority about the deplorable conditions in which he died.

The elderly man’s body was found in his apartment, covered with cockroaches and bed bugs, and police officers reported roaches were crawling out the door of the apartment as they were going in and nearby residents had towels sprinkled with roach powder spread across their doorways.

Police photos of the apartment showed piles of dirty dishes, food containers and other debris throughout the man’s apartment, and one officer reported he could smell the stench from the rotting food as soon as he exited the elevator.

Although the coroner was called to the scene, police said it appeared the man’s death was of natural causes.

On Tuesday, Service-Safety Director Brian Allen and Mayor Ryan Stovall met with CMHA executive Director Bernie Bennett about the situation.

Allen said he cautioned Bennett that, just as the city had no problem recently condemning other rental properties and evicting residents due to bug infestations, he had no problem doing the same with government-subsidized rentals in the city.

However, on Wednesday, Allen reported he does not expect it to come to that, saying Bennett was cooperative.

“He took us very seriously,” Allen said, adding that a new manager has been put into place at the Fawcett facility who is willing to evict residents, which he said the former manager refused to do.

The new manager also wants all police reports faxed to her pertaining to the apartment building, Allen said.

Records documenting that spraying is done within 72 hours of an insect complaint were produced, and Allen said residents who refuse to allow exterminators in will now be given a 24-hour notice to do so or face eviction.

According to what officials were told, the deceased man had been refusing to allow inspections of his apartment, which could explain its condition.

Health commissioner Carol Cowan also attended the meeting, and it was agreed she will provide training sessions for residents on various aspects of good hygiene, as well as other programs.

“It was a very positive meeting,” Allen said.

Bennett said the same Wednesday following the monthly meeting of the CMHA board when questioned about the incident, saying, “We look forward to working closely with the city. Their desires and ours are the same: We want a safe family environment.”

He agreed the resident in question was “living in complete squalor,” but said there were no signs of such issues during a mandated inspection in August, saying, “It had gotten incredibly unlivable (since then).”

The man’s acquaintances and friends were aware of the apartment’s conditions but failed to report it, as did maintenance personnel who had been inside, Bennett said, adding the apartment was treated for bed bugs in the spring but had been cleared of the infestation, although he admitted there is a “constant battle with bed bugs” in CMHA housing, with a “sizeable” amount of money spent on extermination.

Saying it was “alarming he was living like that,” Bennett said residents do have a right to privacy behind closed doors.

This incident, he said, is an opportunity to remind residents if they see something, say something, and said, “We need to educate our staff and make sure they are equipped enough that if they see something they wouldn’t do themselves, they need to say something.”

Board member Judy Fannin cautioned Bennett, “That business of not interfering (with privacy) only goes so far. We need to be proactive if there is a danger to themselves or others.”