Fifteen tenants from Omaha Housing Authority (OHA) high-rises have filed a class-action lawsuit, alleging the agency ignored bedbug infestations that caused years of physical and emotional distress.
The case, filed Monday, seeks monetary damages and demands systemic changes in pest control across more than 1,000 public housing apartments.
Why It Matters
The lawsuit highlights long-standing frustrations among OHA residents, who have complained for years about living conditions at central Omaha's Underwood Tower and other properties. Tenant-organized activism and media coverage in 2023 shed light on widespread issues with pests, mold, and delayed repairs in aging, federally funded housing.
Jeff Lipman, the tenants' attorney, specializes in bedbug litigation and has handled similar cases nationwide. He described OHA's infestation problem as uniquely severe. "I have not seen a situation where literally every tower in the [housing authority] has got an intense, sustained, and this insidious of an infestation," Lipman said.
What To Know
Tenants named in the lawsuit describe the toll of bedbugs: sleepless nights, allergic reactions, and social isolation caused by infestations. Michael Coleman, who has lived in his apartment for almost six years, said he has endured constant bites that make rest impossible.
His ex-wife left the apartment because of the infestation.
"She can't live with bugs, and I don't blame her," he said. "That's why I'm here. I want to get something done with that."
The tenants' attorneys bring a history of success in similar cases. Lipman and his colleagues won a $2.45 million settlement in Des Moines a decade ago and hope to replicate that outcome in Omaha. Nebraska State Senator Justin Wayne joined the legal team, further bolstering the case.
Mounting Problems With Omaha Public Housing
OHA's maintenance and tenant policies have been under fire beyond the bedbug issue. In June 2024, tenants filed a separate class-action lawsuit alleging that OHA illegally overcharged residents for rent, denied them opportunities to contest rent increases, and failed to inform them of hardship exemptions mandated by federal law. These claims followed a Flatwater Free Press investigation that found systemic negligence in OHA's rent policies.
The Nebraska Legislature has also intervened, passing a bill to overhaul OHA's eviction practices and board composition. Advocates argue these reforms are necessary to protect vulnerable tenants from homelessness or financial exploitation.
What People Are Saying
OHA CEO Joanie Balk, in a statement to Flatwater Free Press: "Our pest control personnel use the same commercial grade chemicals used by commercial organizations in the community. We employ best practices designed for multifamily housing which is endorsed by Housing and Urban Development, the Douglas County Health Department, and the experts with the Nebraska Extension Office."
Legal representative Steve Wandro told tenants: "For those of you that do get involved in the litigation, you're going to have to be a warrior."
What's Next
The lawsuit requests a sweeping pest control program involving building-wide inspections, heat treatments, and chemical extermination. It could establish legal precedents for how the public housing authority handles future pest control grievances if successful.
Other ongoing legal battles suggest that systemic changes at OHA may take time. Another lawsuit, which accuses the agency of negligence in a fatal fire and other housing failures, remains unresolved. For now, tenants in the bedbug case hope to force immediate action to improve living conditions across all 2,500 OHA housing units.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press in partnership with Flatwater Free Press.
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