Banished bedbugs not enough to convince family to stay in home

An Edmonton woman and her four children are skeptical a treatmentforbedbugs in their home wassuccessful.

Tina Stach lives in subsidized housing operated by Capital Region Housing in west Edmonton.

For months, she said her townhouse has been infested with the pests.

• Family pleads for pest-free home

On Monday, Capital Region Housing CEO Greg Dewling told CBC News that it has been successful in getting rid of the pests.

"We had a canine inspection today and the suite has been cleared of all bedbugs" said Dewling. "We've treated it twice in August, three times in October and again early November. So it's been a challenge in that location."

Dewling said Capital Region Housing has been dealing with a bedbug infestation for almost 10years.

'It's an ongoing problem'

"It's an ongoing problem in multi-family apartments," he said. "We believe that our regimen works."

Stach isn't so sure.

"I definitely want us to get moved to a new home," she said.

Stach lives in the ward represented by Edmonton city councillor Andrew Knack.

He said responsibility for the upkeep of the townhouse and keeping it clean of bedbugs rests with the province.

Still he praised the Notley government for funding more affordable housing and maintaining existing properties, something he said hasn't happened in a long time.

"It was at least a decade in most cases where there was really no large-scale investment," he said. "There were one offs here and there, but nothing that went to the level that the provincial government committed to this past April to really try to... stop the bleeding.

We're so far behind."

In an email to CBC, Minister of Seniors and HousingLoriSigurdsonacknowledged Stach'sdifficult situation.

"Every Albertan deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, but many affordable housing units are showing their age due to lack of maintenance funding in previous years," she said.

She pointed outthegovernment is investing $18 millionto tackle repairsneeded in Edmonton.

Difficulty sleeping in bedbug home

Stach said months of living with the bedbugs have taken their toll on her and her children.

"It's the mental, the emotional part of it," she said. "We're always thinking they're going to be there. "

She said some of her children have had allergic reactions after exterminators have been in their home.

She said it's been difficult for all of them to sleep, knowing the pests were somewhere out there in the dark.

"You never know if it's a cockroach, a bedbug or a spider," she said.

Stach and Dewling will meet Wednesday morning to discuss her options.

She said she hopes her meeting with Dewling will lead her and her children into a new house to try and make a fresh start, free of the memory of bedbugs.

"We just really need to move. Enough is enough," she said.

An account has been set up at the TD Bank to help support Stach`s family replace the furniture and clothes they`ve lost because of the infestation, said her friend Gloria Biccum.

Donations can be made at any branch or on line to account number 238-6640545.