TEXAS — This February is the fourth anniversary of the deadly 2021 winter storm that claimed the lives of at least 246 people. Many people were displaced by the freeze and had no other place to go.

Kecia Prince was one of those people who had to relocate out of her apartment due to unlivable living conditions exacerbated by the storm. The destructive storm ruined a lot of Prince’s furniture and many of her precious belongings.

“It flooded, and I lost almost everything,” Prince said. 

The historic freeze led to a burst pipe in her neighbor’s apartment, causing considerable damage to her apartment in south Austin. 

“When I went in there, the water was still coming out. It was coming out of the smoke detector and the light fixture,” said Prince.

Prince once lived at the Rosemont at Oak Valley Apartments, a complex that is now under new ownership. Spectrum News initially encountered her amidst a difficult situation; the complex was evicting residents because of water damage and mold. 

Prince said she was one of the nearly 90 people evicted from their apartments. Prince and her fellow neighbors had nowhere to go. But as time went on, media reports started drawing attention from county leaders.

“The county gave them several million dollars to relocate us,” said Prince.

The freeze had many tenants asking about their rights. They found very few protections existed. 

Jennifer MacGeorge, a lawyer based in Texas, helped dozens of people during the 2021 winter storm. She stated that tenants are entitled to request repairs and end their lease if the damage remains unfixed. However, this could be a lengthy process.

“If you’re not carrying renter’s insurance, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for you,” said MacGeorge. “Landlords have 30 days to repair the unit after they receive the insurance proceeds. And because insurance proceeds don’t come right away, they may have months of time that they have to wait before they get the insurance payout.”

MacGeroge said since 2021, there have been a few changes to the Texas Property Code that benefits renters. In 2023, the Texas Legislature amended the property code, allowing tenants to address repairs costing up to $20,000—$10,000 more than before. Landlords also have to give notice for dwellings in floodplains.

The storm’s damage unveiled the imbalance of Texas laws favoring landlords. 

“Now, our landlord lobby here in Texas is very organized and very well-funded, and they do a lot to push the laws in favor of landlords,” said MacGeorge.

Looking back, Prince said she is one of the lucky ones. Both she and her son moved out of the complex and live in a safe home now. She said not everyone was as fortunate.

“I’m doing much better. It’s been a hard road, but you can’t give us money for what we lost. I mean, it’s not just things and money. We’re damaged forever,” she said.