COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Residents at Southgate Village Apartments in College Station are finally breathing a sigh of relief after enduring more than a month without gas, leaving them without heat, hot water, or the ability to cook hot meals. The gas was turned back on January 2nd, but advocates argue the situation should never have reached this point.
"Right now it's Southgate Village. Later on, it can be, you know, it could be me," one advocate expressed, highlighting concerns about the broader implications of such neglect.
Community Steps In During Holiday Hardship
The gas outage, caused by a leak just days before Thanksgiving, left residents without heat through the holidays, forcing them to rely on the kindness of neighbors and the community.
"All I knew is that they had been without gas since the beginning of Thanksgiving, and then time kept passing by, and I was like, wait, this is going on," said Irma Barrera, one of the many community members who stepped in to help.
Barrera and others provided hot meals and donated electric heaters to help residents cope. "They were like, man, we were so grateful for the community. Half of the time we didn't even know the community was coming out to help. But seeing it, like it made us feel so grateful," she said.
Residents were especially relieved to have their gas restored, as the lack of heat and hot meals had taken a toll. "They're grateful because they're so tired of eating frozen food. They're grateful because they were scared of the cold," Barrera added.
Years of Neglect Cited as Cause
The delay in repairs was due to extensive issues discovered by plumbers, who found between 5 and 25 gas leaks per building. They attributed the leaks to years of neglect. Because Southgate Village is private property and the gas supplier, Atmos Energy, oversees repairs, the City of College Station's role was limited to conducting a final safety inspection after repairs were completed.
Despite the gas being restored, residents and advocates remain frustrated. "They're not being validated because there's no action being taken towards their concerns. These people are not living in good, healthy situations," Barrera emphasized.
Temporary Relief Amidst Long-Term Concerns
While the city did open community centers nearby where residents could take warm showers during the outage, the prolonged period without basic utilities through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year highlights ongoing concerns about housing conditions at Southgate Village Apartments.