Fort Worth senior facility damaged by severe winter weather
FORT WORTH, Texas - People living at a Fort Worth senior housing facility say help is not coming fast enough after last week's historic winter storms.
The Harmon Senior Villas has ceilings collapsed from water damage and elevators still out of service.
Dusty Ford gets around on a walker and lives in a third-floor unit.
"I can’t go anywhere it’s just like you’re locked up. I can’t get out, stranded," he said.
It’s just one leftover hardship from the winter storm for tenants who are especially vulnerable. Other problems include spoiled food, collapsed ceilings and the soggy effects of busted pipes.
"I know we’re no different than anybody else out there, it’s just that you’ve got disabled and handicapped seniors that have been abandoned. I mean we didn’t even know if it was safe to live in here. There’s been absolutely no communication whatsoever," said Denise Day.
On Friday, some tenants contacted the Gateway Church to ask for help.
"It’s a pretty dire situation for seniors who can’t care for themselves, can’t get out of the complex so again from our standpoint as a church we just want to help," said Byron Copeland, the executive pastor at Gateway Church.
Monday was day four of the church going door-to-door handing out hot meals to people at the facility.
Many residents receive government subsidies to help pay the living costs. They’re frustrated and say they aren’t getting assistance or adequate information from management.
"I have went down the stairs once and went to the store but it’s hard. All these organizations have been great they’ve been bringing food and everything we need water," Ford said.
"Communication is free and they should have kept us updated on what was going on. Even well checks," Day said.
A manager with the management firm that runs the complex says it has reached out to contractors about repairs, but the wait for service — including the elevator— is lengthy.
The company says its own office was shut down due to storm damages, but it is taking steps to assess and deal with residents' needs as quickly as possible.