A Collin County judge ordered all tenants to vacate the property by Nov. 4.
PLANO, Texas — Tenants living at the Evana Grove Apartments in Plano are being forced to move out after a judge ruled the complex is no longer safe to live in.
A Collin County judge ordered all tenants to vacate the property by Nov. 4, after city officials said the apartments were unsafe and unsanitary, with no working gas, water or sewage, and extensive infrastructure problems.
Francisco Aguila and his family have lived at Evana Grove for nearly 20 years. He told WFAA that the complex has steadily deteriorated in recent years.
“The past four or five years, it’s just been going south and south,” Aguila said.
Aguila said at one point, cockroaches were coming out of the air vents. Another tenant sent photos and videos of mice inside their unit. City officials say the property has nearly 1,500 code violations.
“It’s a travesty,” said Curtis Howard, director of neighborhood services for the City of Plano. “These people don’t deserve to live like this.”
A letter taped to residents’ doors stated that tenants in good standing could transfer to one of four sister properties without paying a new deposit. The letter also said the company will help with moving costs.
“We really want to avoid people becoming homeless, especially at this time,” Howard said.
WFAA reached out to the property’s owners and management but has not received a response. Aguila said his family has already found a new home, but he’s thinking about the neighbors still searching.
“You just see people suffering in this moment, especially when they have nowhere else to go,” he said.
Howard said the city is working with local nonprofits and housing groups to help residents find new places to live. If you need assistance, you’re urged to call the Neighborhood Services Department at (972) 208-8150.