AUSTIN, Texas — A decision to stop negotiations over storm damage repairs came as both a shock and a disappointment to renters and housing advocates who have been fighting with landlords since February’s freeze.
Nearly 90 residents at Rosemont at Oak Valley in Austin received notices back in July to move out because of storm damages. Since then, they’ve been negotiating with property owners, hoping they would come to some kind of agreement, until that hope was shot down.
Kecia Prince was in the process of packing her entire three-bedroom apartment into boxes when she got the news. She has mold in her apartment from water damage that was improperly repaired after the February snow storm.
“I shouldn’t have to be moving at all. This was already done, so that’s what makes this so much more aggravating,” Prince said.
The mold isn’t why she’s mad. She’s upset about how Rosemont property management, the owners and the county have handled the situation.
“This is why we want an agreement and we want it in writing,” she said.
The most recent decision to not sign a written agreement with tenants is the latest setback in a sordid history between renters and management. Rosemont is run by the Strategic Housing Finance Corporation of Travis County. The SHFC bought the low-income property in 2019.
“There’s a lot of things in there we don’t feel we can commit to,” said Strategic Housing Finance Corporation Board Member Robbye Meyer.
In a public meeting, board members said they had no legal obligation to sign any contract and would not continue negotiations, but they will continue to work with tenants and hire a relocation specialist, as requested, to help with the move.
“We’re way behind the A ball and we realize that. We apologize for that. We’re trying to work through it as best we can,” Meyer said.
After hearing that, Prince and other tenants called into the Travis County Commissioners Court to plead with them to step in and help.
“Please, I implore you to make them sign an agreement,” Prince said.
Commissioners asked SHFC CEO Patrick Howard to have written plans for relocation by Monday. BASTA Program Coordinator Gabby Garcia said this is barely a slap on the wrist.
“Today was like getting punched in the gut twice,” Garcia said.
Garcia says it goes against what SHFC CEO Patrick Howard committed to in previous meetings, which is why they wanted these promises in writing in the first place.
“Why wouldn’t you put something you agree to verbally in writing if you don’t intend to break that promise,” she said.
This confusion started when SHFC's first notice to vacate was sent out on July 2. After much chaos, two other amended notices were sent out, including a list of frequently asked questions.
On July 29, SHFC sent out notices to 41 of the 87 tenants, saying after further assessment by mold experts, they no longer had to move out during construction if they didn’t want to.
In a Zoom interview, Patrick Howard said he plans to follow through with everything he promised.
“I can’t sign the agreement. They don’t want the agreement to be signed, but as far as making sure that this process is moved forward, and I running the organization have the ability to do that, that’s what’s happening,” Howard said. “I will say that there is nothing that I agreed to that will not come to fruition.”
Howard agreed to county commissioners’ request to have a relocation specialist selected by Monday and will provide a written statement of what SHFC has done and plans to do for Rosemont tenants. Howard says about 18 renters have terminated their leases.
Roughly 24 residents have been moved into hotels, including Prince. However, she and others say the move has been messy. What tenants say they want more than anything is reassurance they will have a safe place to live, and right now, Prince says she’s not sure if that will happen.
“We’re not ready to give up yet,” Prince said. “It’s not over until the fat lady sings, and I haven’t sang yet.”