ORANGE, Texas — After going weeks without running water, frustrations are piling up for some Sabine Park Apartment residents who feel they have nowhere left to go.
Friday marks almost a month since pipes at the Sabine Park Apartment Homes froze and tenants lost water. Several apartment units now have notices posted on the doors, stating they are uninhabitable.
The order to condemn them came from the city's code enforcement department.
Orange Planning and Community Development officials are looking into the complex for more than just busted pipes. They sent the complex a letter on the city's behalf that listed their code of violations.
"That letter will state what the violations are, and the property owner will need to contact us,” Kelvin Knauf, City of Orange Planning and Development said.
Trinity Multifamily/Asset Living, the company that has been managing the complex, is terminating its agreement with the building's owners.
Sabine Park residents are facing a multitude of issues. Some tenants do not have water and others are dealing with leaking pipes.
Multiple units have water and sewage flowing from underneath into the street. Sewage is also backing up into the sinks.
Ladarious Salton is a resident who has experienced some of the issues firsthand.
“That is sewer coming from the toilet," Salton said. "I'm guessing from my toilet and from the toilets next door."
With some units deemed unlivable, some residents are getting help from the state and others fear they will soon have nowhere to live.
Related: 'It's unbearable': Some Sabine Park Apartment Homes residents living without water since Christmas
“A lot of us can not afford to move and place else, and even if I could, I don't want to,” Janice Jackson, Sabine Park resident, said.
Tracy Thomas is the director of operations of the Orange Housing Authority. Thomas said her agency is helping about 16 renters from this property.
“So if any of those 16 families that we assist are experiencing problems, they need to contact us, in writing or e-mail and submit it to their case worker. As soon as we get it we can send out our inspector,” Thomas said.
The Housing Authority of Orange relies on state funding. As of now, they are not taking any more applications because they do not have enough funding to go around.