Dallas storm victims forced out of their homes unable to find affordable housing
DALLAS - Two-and-a-half weeks after a powerful thunderstorm knocked out power, knocked down trees and caused damage to homes and structures in Dallas, some are still wondering what they should do next.
People who live in one Northeast Dallas apartment complex say they are struggling to find another affordable option.
People living at the Meadows at Ferguson Apartments say they feel trapped with no money to even get a U-Haul to move out of unsafe apartments.
"The kids were in my bedroom," said resident Brittany Williams. "I heard a big bang. You can see my bedroom is open. That's my bedroom."
More than two weeks after winds that reached 80 miles an hour ripped through Dallas, some people are still trying to figure out how to rebuild their lives.
Williams, a single mother of five kids, has not moved out despite notices that she needs to do so.
"Whenever it rains, it still comes in through my bedroom and my closet," she said.
KeyCity Capital, the owner of the Meadows at Ferguson, offered residents another property near the M streets and Highway 75, but the rent would be higher.
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Williams says she currently pays $1,075. At the Hive Apartments, she says it would be almost $1,300.
Aquita Sisson also has yet to move out of the building.
"This is what we are dealing with. These bricks have been on the ground since May 28," she said.
Friday, residents went to try to talk with the managers.
"They have shut the office down, so I can't see if they will meet with me about my security deposit and moving costs," Sisson said.
An employee who later opened the door said he'd only been on the job for three days.
FOX 4 spoke to Tie Lasater, the CEO of KeyCity Capital. He said he empathizes with the tenants.
"First steps were making sure everybody was safe," he said. "Within 3-4 business days, the city was already hitting us and telling us we had to get everybody out of those units and the units boarded up."
Lasater said 18 other families impacted have already relocated.
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"I've been incurring fines from the city for allowing people into the units, and they are not supposed to be," he said. "I'm not going to prevent a tenant who has gone through a devastating situation like that. I’ve been through a hurricane and lost things myself. I wanted to make sure all the tenants could all get their belongings out."
Lasater said he's unable to offer tenants the same rent at the Hive as they have at the Meadows. He says he personally helped tenants load belongings into a U-Haul earlier, but he can't pay for the actual truck.
"I have no way to pay for a U-Haul for all 20 tenants," he said.
KeyCity Capital has owned the property for a little more than a year. Tenants there before leasing were not required to get renters' insurance. That is something that likely would have covered moving expenses in a situation like this.
The company says it has plans for a $4 million renovation of the property underway.