This article is the first part of Texas Tech Public Media’s look into rental housing in Lubbock. For more “Renter Worries,” click here.
It was 104 degrees last month when concerned neighbors met outside of The Ella Apartments in Central Lubbock, near 58th Street and Avenue Q.
Community activists spread flyers to the apartment units and knocked on doors to let residents know about their parking lot meeting to discuss living conditions at the property and the idea of forming a tenants’ union.
Few residents showed up to the meeting, however. Media members were asked to turn off cameras after tenants mentioned fears of retaliation, like eviction threats and invasions of privacy.
Conditions inside the complex were already seen on local nightly newscasts. Tenants shared pictures of mold, broken doors and temperatures inside the units reaching over 90 degrees because of broken air conditioners. When multiple residents said property management conducted “inspections” the next morning, they were perceived by tenants as an attempt to identify who talked to the press under anonymity. After the inspections, “lease warning notices” were issued to three units.
The complex is one of two in Lubbock listed on the property map of major national low-income property owners, Millennia Companies, Ltd. In a statement to Texas Tech Public Media, the company confirmed property management recently conducted inspections on 40 units at The Ella, but denied any claims of retaliation.
Concerns about apartments reached the Lubbock City Council in a recent meeting. Antonio Lopez, an organizer of the tenant meeting, described to the council some of the harsh living conditions amid waves of deadly heat across Texas.
“I actually just got back from The Ella Apartments to survey the situation, and I do think that there is change needed,” Lopez told the council. “There are several tenants who have been without air conditioners for about seven months now.”
Tax-exempt bonds will help with future renovation costs. The council voted in favor of a 4% Housing Tax Credit for the apartment complex developers, issued by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Lubbock Housing Finance Corporation. Developers indicated they will spend $81,000 per unit on renovations, for a budget of more than $12.3 million.
However, officials said renovations will not happen until at least September.
Residents remain concerned for their safety with little confidence these whispers of future renovations will mean significant improvements to conditions at The Ella any time soon.
Millennia’s history of complaints, HUD’s failure to respond
This is not the first time Millennia has faced criticism from taxpayers for conditions in their low-income housing.
In 2015, residents of a Galveston apartment complex were told renovations were on the way after Millennia purchased the property. Complaints of mold, plumbing issues and unsafe conditions eventually led to multiple inspections from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and three failing scores were reported over the next four years.
Residents at Millenia complexes in Atlanta, Georgia and Kansas City, Missouri have also reported harsh issues going unaddressed. Residents of Millenia’s Gabriel Tower Apartments in Kansas City reported “living in squalor, with mold, bed bugs, broken doors, and retaliatory management.” Millennia said they were expecting a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to support $9.3 million in renovations at Gabriel Tower last year.
A lack of response from HUD to complaints against Millennia led to a letter from non-profits Texas Housers and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and more than 15 tenants’ unions from around the country, to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge in April 2022.
“Millennia’s conduct demands immediate attention from HUD to ensure that all assisted families are living in habitable housing,” said Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in a news release.
“Millennia has a pattern of making repeated promises to make repairs and correct violations, providing occasional superficial repairs that do not fix underlying problems and that are often funded by external sources, such as tax credits,” the letter stated.
Millennia responded to the letter by defending HUD, adding that the claims against their properties were not reflective of the company.
According to HUD, the department can respond to management companies who repeatedly fail Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspections by requiring new property management, imposing civil financial penalties, or suspending them from federal housing programs.
Here in Lubbock, residents of The Ella can hope for improvements to come supported by the Housing Tax Credit approved by the city council, but community activists advocating on the tenants’ behalf aren’t encouraged by what they’ve seen from the company.
“I called [Millennia]. When I started talking about Ella properties, the lady hung up,” Phyllis Gant, with Lubbock’s NAACP, said. Gant described an interaction she had with a now-former resident of the Ella.
“The eviction says for non-payment of rent but she showed me every month, every receipt. But she was the one that called the housing authority,” Gant said. “The management knows nobody cares about these people.”
Informing Lubbock tenants of their rights
More than a week after the residents meeting outside The Ella, Legal Aid of Northwest Texas held a meeting to discuss tenants’ rights at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on 52nd Street, six blocks north of the apartment.
Attendees had many questions about problems at The Ella, but attorneys gave information helpful for any Lubbock renter. They reminded tenants to read the lease and keep documented records of issues or interactions with property management. Physical evidence is important if a renter is brought to court for eviction, or a lawsuit against property owners or management takes place.
Stuart Walker, the code administration director with the City of Lubbock Code Enforcement, said renters with concerns regarding the conditions of their property have to call the city and allow an inspection of their unit.
Phyllis Gant called Code Enforcement when she heard from a resident who needed help with A/C and plumbing issues.
“There was a woman, 61, I think. No air conditioner and no running water,” Gant said. “[Code Enforcement] sent guys, but she had to be willing to answer the phone and answer the door. So she had to put herself out there.”
To help keep Lubbock households informed of their rights, Legal Aid of Northwest Texas will be holding free civil legal clinics at the Lubbock County Office Building at 916 Main Street, on July 20 and 27.
The clinics can provide an opportunity for connections to free legal help on issues with security deposits, rent resources, illegal lockouts or housing discrimination. Those who can’t attend their clinics but are worried about an eviction or foreclosure issue are encouraged to call Legal Aid’s eviction defense line at 855-548-8457, or their Legal Aid Line at 888-529-5277.
Families can also use texaslawhelp.org, a website designed for questions to be answered for free by Texas lawyers.