HOUSTON -- Residents at the Meadows Creek Apartments in southeast Houston have been living without electricity for more than two months, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.

When Hurricane Ike hit, electric cables and poles were knocked down. Since then, there has been no sign of electricity.

Some of the residents said electricians stop by but the manager is never there so nothing gets done. Both the manager and the owner of the complex were not available to talk to KPRC Local 2.

Many of the residents are elderly and some are sick, making it very difficult for them to live in dark and cold conditions. With the holidays around the corner and the temperatures dropping, the residents are getting desperate.

"We are living like if we were out in the woods camping, " said Placido Gutierrez.

The residents are paying at least $500 in rent plus electricity bills, but they are all walking around in the dark with flashlights and no answers.

"When it gets dark, I curl up in a ball in my room because I'm scared of the dark. I don't like to walk around in it tripping over things," said Carmen Lozano.

Six families are living in the dark at the complex. The city of Houston said it can advocate for the residents and on behalf of the owners and add electricity to the complex for a limited time. Then it's up to the owners.

The city said the residents' only permanent option is for them to move out because it cannot make the complex owners put electricity in the apartments.

That is not an option for some of the residents, who said they cannot afford to pay the penalty to break a contract and move to a new apartment complex.