HOUSTON – Families living long-term at the Executive Inn and Suites on Airport Boulevard say they are facing yet another crisis just days before Christmas, this time without power, after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the property’s future.
Residents tell KPRC 2 News they were already on the brink after being told earlier this month, they would need to move out with little notice. Now, with electricity shut off, many say they feel abandoned and unsure of where to turn next.
“We were told basically we’re unemployed and homeless,” said tenant Ashley Thompson, who also worked at the hotel. “So, us not having nowhere to go, because literally this is our life, we’re just still here trying to kind of make it.”
SEE ALSO: Hobby-area inn residents challenge move-out order amid shifting landlord explanations
KPRC 2 News first reported on conditions at the extended-stay hotel earlier this month, when tenants said the owner informed them they had only days to leave. The owner initially cited financial strain and later pointed to foreclosure as the reason residents needed to move out.
The day after that story aired, records from the Harris County Clerk’s Office show the property near the Gulf Freeway and Airport Boulevard had a foreclosure sale.
This week, residents say the power went out, leaving families to pack their belongings by candlelight.
“Honestly, it’s hurt me,” said Henry Williams, whose girlfriend lives at the hotel. “Especially right before Christmas.”
Many residents say they have been living paycheck to paycheck for months and were already struggling before the lights went out describing a constant feeling of being one step away from losing everything.
A CenterPoint Energy spokesperson told KPRC 2 News Reporter Rilwan Balogun the account holder, the property owner, did customer move-out indicating plans to restore their plan at a different location.
Records show the property is owned by Maankee Hospitality LLC. KPRC 2 News made multiple attempts to reach the owner, but the only phone number listed appears to be the hotel’s main line. Each call resulted in the same recorded message.
For some tenants, the situation extends beyond housing. Ashley Thompson says she also lost her job at the hotel and has been unable to collect unemployment benefits or food assistance, because the business still appears to be operating online.
“My last check bounced,” Thompson said. “I owe over $800 because of [the owner]. I can barely get food stamps because we’re still listed as an open business online.”
Despite the hotel being inaccessible, online booking sites still show rooms available.
“No, you can’t,” Thompson said. “We’re here homeless. You can’t even go through our front doors.”
Thompson, who has two young children, says the timing has made an already difficult situation even more painful.
“My kids are five and four, they don’t know the difference,” she said. “But it kind of kills your motivation to keep going or even look forward to Christmas.”
Legal questions have also surrounded the move-out orders. In previous interviews, several residents said they never received written eviction notices. Some learned they had to leave only through word of mouth.
Amanda Ceballos, who lived and worked at the property for three years, said she was notified by a coworker while she was off duty.
“They had her call me and break the news to me,” Ceballos said.
Dana Karni, an attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid, previously told KPRC 2 News that many long-term hotel residents may legally qualify as tenants under Texas law.
“If someone has been there more than 30 days, they may rise to the level of a tenant,” Karni said.
Under Texas law, landlords must follow a formal eviction process, which includes providing written notice, obtaining a court judgment, and securing a writ of possession. Karni also emphasized that even if a property is facing foreclosure, the current owner cannot evict tenants and any eviction would have to be handled legally by the new owner.
As Christmas approaches, some families remain inside the darkened building, uncertain of where they’ll go next.
“It feels like [the owner] just washed his hands with us,” Thompson said. “That’s what it felt like.”