Former tenants of a Far East Dallas apartment complex are struggling with the aftermath of the severe storms in May that caused extensive damage to their units.
Those concerns were exacerbated on June 15, when one building in the Meadows at Ferguson apartment complex caught fire. The building was without power after May 28 storms damaged brick walls and electrical boxes. It took firefighters about two hours to contain the blaze, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said.
Local agencies and the federal government have stepped in to provide resources and temporary solutions for the occupants, but some residents said the assistance has not been enough.
Some said they were relocated to another apartment building six miles away, while others decided to break their lease. Those who decided to stay until they could find new housing said they lost their belongings and were forced to leave after the June 15 fire. Now tenants are in limbo. They don’t know when they will find a permanent place to call home.
“I lost everything. I only have my pajamas,” said Aquita Sisson, 49, who lives with her daughter and grandchildren. Fortunately, she said, her family got out of the unit safely. Sisson said the Red Cross provided Visa credit cards to be used for temporary housing. For now, she and her family are staying at a nearby hotel.
The deadline for residents to remove all their belongings from the storm-damaged units was June 5, according to a flier posted on the doors of occupied units. By June 12, most of the doors were boarded up.
Thirty-two units in the two buildings were damaged by the storm, but only 20 had tenants, said Tie Lasater, CEO of KeyCity Capital, the real estate company that owns and manages the property.
Lasater spoke to The Dallas Morning News on June 12, but after Saturday’s fire, he did not respond to three phone calls, a voice message and an email requesting additional comment.
Under the Texas Property Code, if a dwelling is uninhabitable or totally unusable for residential purposes after a disaster, the tenant or landlord can terminate the lease by giving a written notice, according to Legal Aid of Northwest Texas.
The property code states that if the lease is terminated, no costs should be charged to the tenant. The tenant is entitled to a refund calculated proportionally based on the remaining value or term of a lease. The landlord is not responsible for finding or providing the tenant with a new place to live, Legal Aid said.
Of the 20 families affected by the storm, five were relocated to The Hive, a sister property about six miles away, according to Lasater. Thirteen families moved in with friends or family, and their leases were terminated at no cost to them, he said.
A small number of tenants remained in the apartment complex after the storm, according to Lasater and the city attorney’s office.
Three families were affected by the fire, according to the city attorney’s office. A 62-year-old man who did not want to be identified continues to live in the remaining building as he awaits help.
Lurittia King, 45, was living with her four grandchildren in the building destroyed by the fire. She wasn’t home when the fire started, but her neighbor called to let her know what had happened. When she arrived, all of her belongings had been destroyed. King is staying with a friend.
The damage caused by the storm prompted a federal disaster declaration in Dallas County. Residents can apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Before the fire occurred, a FEMA team visited the units to inform residents about how they may be eligible to apply for programs to help them recover from the recent storms.
Cornelia Alvarez, supervising attorney for the disaster legal services unit with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, confirmed the organization is providing assistance to residents affected by the storms.
City of Dallas officials said they have been aware of the situation in the apartment complex. The city attorney’s office of community prosecution has been on the ground helping connect residents with available resources.
“We’ve been monitoring this location since ... June 1, when we were notified that they started the process of vacating two buildings,” said Paula Blackmon, Dallas City Council member for District 9, where the apartments are located.
Inspectors from Code Compliance and the Fire Marshal’s Office have inspected the property since the storm, according to the city attorney’s office. Violations of the city’s minimum property standards, including structural, materials, plumbing, electrical and air conditioning, have been found on the property, the city attorney’s office said via email.
Lasater said it could take up to a year for the remaining building to be ready for an electrician and city code inspection before the apartments can be opened again to tenants.
FEMA resources available
Dallas County renters whose property was destroyed or damaged by the May storms may be eligible to apply for federal assistance. FEMA grants can help pay for temporary housing. The deadline to apply for help is July 16.
Renters may also qualify for grants to replace or repair necessary personal property. That includes furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks or school supplies; a personal or family computer; replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required by the self-employed. It can also include primary vehicles; uninsured or out-of-pocket medical, dental, childcare, moving and storage expenses.
For homeowner or renter, the first line of defense will always be their homeowner’s/renter’s insurance. FEMA’s disaster assistance program is focused on short-term recovery and the assistance someone might receive is generally not enough to make them whole, said Nikki Gaskins Campbell, FEMA’s spokesperson assigned to the North Texas disasters.
Disaster survivors can call 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. They can also apply online at disasterassistance.gov. The FEMA app is available at this link: FEMA App.
