Tenants of a Dallas apartment complex complain they’ve gone three weeks without gas for hot water or cooking.
The St. James Manor Apartments are on Easter Street at Kiest Boulevard in South Oak Cliff. Outdoor grills were popular the past few weeks with no gas for cooking inside units.
“Everybody in the whole place was hungry. We tried to pitch together; had to barbecue, do whatever we could to feed the kids,” tenant Elexus Crow said.
At nearby John Neely Bryan Elementary School, named for the Dallas founder, adults noticed hungry, unbathed children in class coming from the apartments with no gas for hot water. They reached out to neighborhood City Council Member Carolyn King Arnold, who is a former teacher.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
“It can be embarrassing and sometimes lead to bullying so there’s a domino effect here,” Arnold said.
The city council member tried to get answers from the property owner and send a message.
“It’s unacceptable. And my basic belief is this. If you wouldn’t have your family in that situation, don’t put another family in that situation,” Arnold said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
A spokesman for the property management company in Denver sent a statement saying the gas company cut service to the entire complex without warning after the report of a leak. The statement said pressure tests were required in each of the 20 buildings in the complex and many units have had gas service restored.
Plumbers who work on gas connections were seen at the complex Thursday. Management said hot plates for cooking and showers at other locations were offered to families.
Tenants said it was a bad situation.
“It bothered me the most not being able to take them a proper bath and give them the proper food,” tenant Ayesha Ramirez said.
Several tenants declined to talk on camera for fear of eviction at the complex. Elexus Crow said management has been conducting inspections during the gas reconnections.
“They were saying their house is not up to par, or something. But my thing is, look what you making us go through for three weeks. I wouldn’t think nobody’s house is up to par right now,” she said.
An email from management said no one is being evicted at this time as they work to solve the gas issues.
It said all gas service should be restored by Thursday evening.
