KILLEEN, Txeas — Folks in Killeen are still waiting for answers after a review of the Killeen Housing Authority’s finances lead to a mass exodus of staff in September.
Both Section 8 and Public Housing fall under the control of the Killeen Housing Authority.
While some folks have had issues getting rent vouchers, people like Tom Brennan and his wife live in public housing and have other problems.
”Repairs are not being done,” said Brennan. “I have 129 work orders out on this apartment, just since July. We don’t have a heater, we don’t have an oven, we don’t have a washing machine, we’ve got plumbing leaks, and things like that.”
Some of those appliances are in the apartment but they are both blind and can’t use the appliances.
”The oven is a touch screen and somebody from protective services told me, 'well you can touch the screen',” said Brennan. “That’s true, but it doesn’t matter if you can touch it if you can’t see what it’s doing.”
25 News has tried several times to get an on-camera interview with someone from Killeen Housing Authority with no luck.
We were able to talk to former Killeen council member and current Housing Authority volunteer Mellisa Brown.
She attended their Friday board meeting.
”They discussed the fact that there were payments not being made on a regular basis to landlords,” said Brown. “They found that landlords, for a large part, were being paid on alternating months. They had some landlords that were paid in June and August. Others that were paid in July and September.”
The Brennans are dealing with maintenance issues and not rent.
It’s something Brown said the board also addressed.
”What they’re trying to do now is make sure that we have a plan for inspections and maintenance,” said Brown. “They're asking any tenants who have maintenance issues to send an email to Hakilleentx@gmail.com. So, we can get that added to the priority list and make sure those issues are handled as quickly as possible.”
The Brennans are worried about things like the heater not working this winter and said they have been reporting it to the Killeen Housing Authority.
”Since July 29th when they put us in here because we can’t hire anybody to do it ourselves,” said Brennan. “This isn’t ours, this is the Killeen Housing Authority’s.”
Both sides said it’s not a quick or easy fix and there is growing community frustration focused right here at Housing Authority leadership.
