Issues continue to grow at mobile home park in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Dozens of residents at North Lamar Mobile Home Park are extremely frustrated - after voicing multiple calls to their landlord.

Among the list of issues, a new fence causing gas and water lines to be punctured. And one month later, some are still without gas and hot water.

"You have to feel safe around your community but if you don't have illumination around, you can't walk around and feel safe. What do we have to do to fix that problem," Sanchez says.

Roberto Sanchez has been living in North Lamar Mobile Home Park for 17 years. The last time we spoke trash hadn't been picked up in more than a week - and working gas was an issue.

Gabby Garcia is an organizer with BASTA, a tenants rights organization. She says, "a small victory is they did tear down the ridiculous enclosure that was obstructing the middle of the street. We still need more bins and spreading them out in more reasonable places."

That problem is somewhat fixed, but as the community tries to take one step forward they're pushed two steps backward.

Garcia adds, "as far as the gas which was the other issue most of the residents do have it turned back on. There were some that failed inspection because city and code were triple checking and some lines were leaking for example one family had a line that was copper which is not allowed anymore, so there were things that had to change."

In the past few weeks Garcia says management has been more responsive but some things still aren't clear.

"We still don't' know why there isn't street lighting. Right now the property has about 70 trailers on the lot and there are only 2 garbage containers. Construction that doesn't make sense you'll see a fence in front of a fence," Garcia says.

These same fences caused the initial gas leak in August, and now five families still don't have gas or hot water.

"So the family didn't have 4 or $500 to spend so what the community did was yesterday they had a fundraising event," Garcia adds.

In the meantime, both Garcia and Sanchez say the community is working together as a family like they always do, helping each other when the next person falls short.

"The ultimate goal is they'd like to create a co-op to stabilize rent, make repairs," Garcia says.