Prairie View A&M University students faced with moldy, flooded off-campus housing
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Dozens of Prairie View A&M students are angry over what they say are ongoing issues at the Panther Hill Apartments.
The property opened in the fall of 2018, in response to a university-wide housing shortage.
Students told Eyewitness News that molding, plumbing and flooding units are things that they shouldn't be experiencing in a brand new place.
As students returned from their holiday break, they believed things would be better at Panther Hill.
But some residents say they're still dealing with botched plumbing and bad fixtures.
"I got very sick. I got bronchitis the second time in October, and I had to live in my friend's apartment in Houston," senior Ashley Jackson explained.
Jackson said she's been so stressed about the mold and issues in her unit, that she had to get a service dog.
She says it was only when her parents in San Antonio got a lawyer and threatened to get involved, that some things got fixed.
"It's a living nightmare every day and every week it's something different," Jackson continued.
Eyewitness News took those concerns to management, who says they're working on it.
"If they put in a simple work request, we'd love to take care of the issues. We usually try to get on top of it, because as you know in an apartment complex, things are just going to happen, but as you report them we'll make sure we get them resolved in a timely manner," property manager Terry Barton said.
Dozens of images were sent to Eyewitness News from students outlining the problem.
Due to a housing shortage, many of the students were put on a waiting list at the complex and paid a deposit, moved in and allegedly started experiencing issues right away.
Students are paying $350 to $800 for their apartments with promised amenities, but some residents are claiming they've never received WiFi or cable.
"At the end of the day, we have nowhere to go, nowhere to stay. We are forced here," senior Darren White said.
Other residents say they've experienced flooding caused by backed up plumbing in other units.
"It was just septic water everywhere in here. We had to clean it up ourselves because they wouldn't answer any phone calls," White said.
When Eyewitness News asked how a new property could be experiencing so many problems, we were told that was a question for the construction team and regional manager.
Although the apartments are off-campus units, Prairie View officials say they're aware of the issues and the problems have "clarified our need to establish a robust, formal off-campus student program. This new direction means that we plan to support off-campus students with housing, transportation and academic challenges."
The university says the housing shortages come after an enrollment increase of more than 600 students in the past five years.
In result of the problem, many students are considering leaving the university and returning to their hometown.
