Houston senior citizens demand help for health, safety concerns at apartment

HOUSTON - City of Houston officials are getting an earful regarding problems at a new apartment building and those issues are now being addressed for the senior citizens who live in the building who are asking for help.

The Gala at MacGregor is an apartment community in the Medical Center area for residents 55 and older. Some who live there say they’ve been plagued by problems, from health to safety concerns.

"I mean it’s wide open for anybody to come in," says resident 74-year-old Dorceal Duckens. 

Intruders have come in, according to residents, vandalizing vehicles and stealing tires from cars in the garage.

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"Then they broke into the main office on the third floor," Duckens explains, and he says there have been homeless people in the building, including in the sixth-floor trash vestibule area, and seniors have had to take the stairs because the elevators were out.

Then there was this issue, unfinished flooring in the mid-rise, causing heavy dust to be tracked into apartments and sucked in through vents, so thick Duckens wrote the word dust on his table.

"It's piling up on your dresser or whatever, and you’re breathing it in," says Duckens.

Caked on dust still covers walls and doors, although the flooring is finally in after Duckens complained to the City Council. 

"Now let's move to dealing with the MacGregor Gala living facility. My office went with the Health Department, the Housing Community Development Department, the builder was there, and we reached an agreement," Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced in a council meeting. 

"This is a property the City of Houston placed $9-million in. So that gives us some responsibility to make sure the residents are satisfied. Seniors are vulnerable people, and we want to make sure the most vulnerable people in Houston are protected," adds Director of City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department Michael Nichols, who says the city invested in the building because there are tens of thousands of Houstonians on a waiting list for housing, so the city has a program where they...

"Give funds, so developers can build the city’s housing and make them available at an affordable rate," says Nichols.

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By the way, Duckens may look or sound familiar. "I’ve done Broadway. I graduated from Prairie View A and M University, with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance, a Master’s Degree in Education and I sing opera," Duckens explains.

The 74-year-old says he's grateful the city acted so quickly and now the building has cameras, proper locks on doors, and security.

If you have an issue with your apartment, reach out to the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department at 832-394-6200 or email them at hcddcomplaintsappeal@houstontx.gov.