The affordable apartment complex was heavily damaged during Winter Storm Uri, including broken pipes, a loss of electricity and water damage, and about 85 families had to be temporarily relocated.
In July 2021, residents at at the complex, located at 2800 Collins Creek Drive near South Pleasant Valley Road and Oltorf Street, who had sustained significant damage from the storm received notices to vacate the property by the end of the month. Travis County commissioners reached an agreement with SHFC, which is part of the Housing Authority of Travis County, to prevent the residents from being evicted and to instead temporally relocate the residents.
The June 7 action brings Travis County’s reimbursement total to $1.68 million.
“We are trying to assist with a problem that frankly Strategic Housing created because of the way they handled the canceling of leases and the relocation of residents,” Commissioner Brigid Shea said, adding that she did not feel it is fair for the county and taxpayers to shoulder the brunt of the costs.
The SHFC has incurred over $16.5 million in expenses for construction and repairs, and about $1.8 million for relocating families, according to Patrick Howard, Housing Authority of Travis County executive director .
Howard said the SHFC is still paying for the temporary relocation of one family who had extensive structural damage to their unit and expects the SHFC’s total relocation costs will reach about $250,000.
Howard said the construction cost will be funded through insurance reimbursement and SHFC’s reserves. He said they are hoping insurance will cover $10 million of the cost.
Shea said the County also provided $721,096.6 in rental assistance funds to residents living in the Rosemont apartments. Those funds go directly to renters and are unrelated to the winter storm.
“The two combined has the county putting in over $2.5 million,” Shea said to Howard. “And you will be putting in $250,000. I don’t think a 90/10 split is ideal. I’m going to support this this time, but I will say for the record that I would really like to see Strategic step up.”
