CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — More than a year ago, KRIS 6 News first told you that residents of the Clairlaine Gardens Apartments on Corpus Christi's West Side were concerned for their safety.
Neighborhood news reporter Naidy Escobar spoke to more people who live here about the problems that have continued even after a year.
Maria Salas and Edelia Medina have lived in Clairlane Gardens for several years; they said that although that place is their home, they feel uncomfortable due to the safety concerns.
They both live on the second floor of the building and the elevator has not been working, causing a lot of frustration for those who live there, since some cannot use the stairs because of disabilities.
"I fell and hit myself, I went backwards twice, one of the times I grabbed the little wall and hit my head, I was there until I recognized myself and climbed up, no one ever passed by," Medina said .
That happened in June of 2024, and she ended up having to get surgery.
“ I went back to the doctor and about three or four days later they’d a cat sand and they found out that it was broken,” she said.
She added that since the third month she has lived, another issue was that there were people sleeping in her staircase, and she would have to ask them to leave.
"They used to have homeless people staying there, and we have the homeless people coming in and out through here," said Sharon, another resident.
Sharon, another resident who moved in last November, said the elevators have never worked, and she feels for her neighbors like Medina and Salas, who need extra assistance getting up and down the stairs.
" A lot of them don't have that extra help to go up and down the stairs, I try to help as much as I can," Sharon said.
She adds that the elevator would be essential for the residents and should be something the housing authority should consider.
Gary Allsup, CEO of The Corpus Christi Housing Authority, said the building is old, and the cost of constantly repairing the elevator is high, which is why they closed it permanently.
"They are gone, they are decommissioned," Allsup said.
When the issue first came about Allsup said the Housing authority reached out to all tenants asking themto notify them if they had any mobility issues.
"I am happy here I love my apartment, but the fact is that I can’t do nothing, sometimes I don’t go out until three or four days,”Medina said.
Allsup said he understands how difficult it can be and asks residents to request to the Housing Authority to be moved to the first level since fixing the elevator, in this case, is not going to be the solution.
"I wish I could tell you we were perfect, but we are not perfect, but if people bring things to our attention, we will get them fixed,” Allsup added.
He said that although this request takes some time, they are always open to listening to their tenants as their main goal is for residents to live comfortably and happily.
As for the homeless concern Allsup said that they have installed a security door so that the only way to get in is with a key card.
When KRIS 6 News visited the site, Medina's and Sharon's doorways did not have those installed yet.
Allsup assured that he would be looking into the matter in hopes of getting the issue fixed as soon as possible.
Currently, the Corpus Christi Housing Authority serves over 2,000 families, and Allsup said he and his team are there to support their residents.
"They could just pick up the phone and call us," he said.
He does ask residents to be patient but not to hesitate to reach out.
"I am happy here I love my apartment, but the fact is that I can’t do nothing, sometimes I don’t go out until three or four days,” Medina said.
Click hereto contact the Corpus Christi Housing Authority.
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