Residents of Houston Heights apartment complex still without power

HOUSTON – It’s almost like an evil monkey game between the two. The residents of Durham Heights Apartments in Houston Heights being the monkey caught in the middle of CenterPoint Energy on one side, and their apartment managers on the other side.

For more than a week, they have been without power and running water following an outbreak of severe weather in the Houston area.

The apartment complex has a water system that relies on an electric pump to deliver water to each of the apartments located on the corner of Durham Drive and West 26th Street.

KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding discovered the problem at the apartment complex on Thursday, recording temperatures in residents’ units reaching the mid-80s.

Relief was in sight when CenterPoint Energy came to replace a large green transformer outside the building.

However, when they turned on the transformer, they discovered another problem.

“Last night, the CenterPoint Energy crew replaced the transformer that serves the Durham Heights Apartments,” a CenterPoint Energy spokesperson said. “While attempting to re-energize the complex, the team determined that the customer had a cable fault in their conductors. Unfortunately, until the customer repairs their equipment, this complex cannot be powered on.

Residents woke up Friday to another day of scorching temperatures in their rental homes with a forecast that the mercury would simply move upward into dangerous territory.

“It’s really hot in my apartment,” Kathryn Guthrie said.

“I stayed here until last night. Last night was kind of my breaking point,” Tannis Rhodes added.

They’re looking for some sort of answer, some sort of light at the end of the tunnel.

According to residents, they received emails from the apartment manager, but they were filled with false promises and no real news.

When KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding went looking for answers, he received the classic response of: “No comment.”

Gauge: “Hi how are you?”

Apartment Manager: “GOOD.”

Gauge: “My name is Gage. I’m with KPRC 2 News.

Apartment Manager: “Yes. I saw you yesterday.”

Gauge: “Yeah. So what’s going on?”

Apartment Manager: “I’m going to have to, you know, not make any comment at this time. I wasn’t able or free to discuss anything, but it’s kind of like we’re working on it. But we are not free. No comments yet.

Gauge: “Okay, so CenterPoint gave you some energy. So, it’s internal, right?

Apartment Manager: “As I said, no comment at this time. And if you could just come here for me.

The apartment manager doesn’t lie; work is in progress. But we do not know where the problem lies or when the solution will be provided with the use of electricity for residents who are supposed to pay their rent on the first of the month.

“For her to not say anything and not give us an update or any real answers is very frustrating to me at least,” Guthrie said.

While the apartment complex’s electricians were working, we had our own third party professional electrician look at the situation and give their best judgment without actually touching the problem itself.

“I don’t know why they would have a fault in one of the wires because of just that (transformer) cutting out,” said John Longorio of Panther Electric.

Finding the answer and the problem amidst the cable mess can be a lot harder than it seems.

Gauge: “So they have to go through each thread individually until they find it. “

John: “Yeah, that’s what I would do.”

Gauge: “A long day awaits them.”

John: “If any of them or they find this out, if they find the short, it’s probably going to be a matter of them pulling the wire out and putting it back in.”

Until the problem is found, a solution is developed and the problem resolved: all residents here can do is wait.

“I’m going out of town for Memorial Day weekend and really, if I haven’t already by the time I get back. Yeah, I’m out of here,” Matt Murray said.

KPRC2 asked IR life, the owner of the apartment complex, for more information. Our messages were not returned.