Condos heavily damaged by fire during Feb. freeze still in disrepair amid construction holdups

HOUSTON – Residents and homeowners at the One Orleans Place Condos say they want answers after a fire demolished their homes during the February freeze.

According to those who live in the area, their homes have been under construction ever since.

Kimberly Dow said residents were told by their Homeowner’s Association that the rebuild would be totally covered by the HOA’s insurance.

HOA officials hired Cotton Global Disaster Solutions to take on the project, but Dow said there have been several holdups.

“We were given lots of excuses,” Dow said. “We were told the supply chain is limited, which we understand and know is true because of the pandemic but then just like other things have come up, like inspection delays, getting inspection people in here, not passing inspection, and then recently we’ve been told we will have to change the building permit.”

The concern for Dow is that she like several others in the 12 units affected has been using her own personal insurance to pay for her current apartment but that will end soon.

“I was very fortunate, I did have insurance, and I’ve had my rent covered. But it will stop next month, and I will be on my own,” said Dow.

Dow told KPRC she would have to figure out how to pay her mortgage, HOA fees, and her current apartment rent.

“We’re all living paycheck to paycheck to begin with,” Dow said. “We just want our homes back.”

KPRC reached out HOA run by Genesis Community Management and the construction company Cotton Global Disaster Solutions to ask about the delays and when the condos might be completed but both declined to comment.


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