Many Laredoans struggling to find new homes after forced evacuation from Dellwood Apartments 'We are scared because we don’t have anyone else who can help'

A child peaks out from a door at the Dellwood Apartments as many residents are informed that they will have to move due to the apartments they live are not up to code. A child peaks out from a door at the Dellwood Apartments as many residents are informed that they will have to move due to the apartments they live are not up to code. Photo: Ulysses S. Romero/Laredo Morning Times Photo: Ulysses S. Romero/Laredo Morning Times Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close Many Laredoans struggling to find new homes after forced evacuation from Dellwood Apartments 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

About 90 people have 12 days to vacate their homes and find a new place to live after the City of Laredo deemed a local apartment complex uninhabitable.

The storm that hit Laredo about a month ago caused significant damage to some of the units, blowing the roof off the building in some areas. The entire apartment complex has been labeled unsafe for occupancy. Even the units that might not show any physical damage present a risk to the tenants’ safety due to possible electrical and sanitary problems, according to city officials.

After receiving a temporary injunction against Dellwood Apartments, 2202 Bristol Road, the City of Laredo said inspectors have been empowered to “red tag” 110 of the apartment’s units.

Most of the tenants are worried that they do not have enough time to find a new place that will fit their economic needs or that their immigration status will prevent them from renting somewhere else.

Nalleli, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, has been a resident of Dellwood Apartments for a month. She said it’s been hard to find another place to live.

READ MORE: Tenants vacate north Laredo apartment complex labeled 'unsafe for occupancy'

“We don’t have documents … We are scared because we don’t have anyone else who can help,” Nalleli said.

She lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her husband and her two daughters, ages 1 and 2.

Her husband, Eduardo, who is also an undocumented immigrant, works in a warehouse nearby, which forces them to limit their search to the Mines Road area to stay close to his job, Nalleli said.

Nalleli said she is from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, but that going back to the Sister City is not an option for them.

“Because of my daughters, I don’t want to go back,” she said. “Everyone is afraid to go back to Mexico. They go across and they are blackmailed or kidnapped.”

As of Wednesday evening, Nalleli said she still hadn’t found a place to move with her family, even though they had been notified to vacate over two weeks ago. She said most landlords ask for some type of documentation to verify their legal status.

Another tenant, Adriana Mendoza, 34, said she has been renting at Dellwood Apartments for 16 years. Mendoza lives with her husband and her two sons in one of the units that do not show any physical damage.

The Mendoza family was packing and throwing out some of their old belongings Wednesday afternoon as they were getting ready to vacate their home. She said they were going to rent a storage unit for their furniture and were planning to stay at a ranch with a relative while they find another place to live.

Mendoza said she was worried for the older residents who do not have a means of transportation, much less the possibility to find another apartment on such short notice.

RELATED: Laredo mayor declares city a disaster area in wake of devastating storm

“There are like five or six families composed of older people who don’t own a car in which they can move. These are people that live day by day,” she said. “We know these are old apartments, but this is what they can afford.

“Here, (the owner) tried to help out. Many people didn’t pay the rent on time, or would pay in installments. They won’t let them do that somewhere else.”

Another concern for her was that she, like most of the tenants, had already paid this month’s rent. Mendoza said it would be hard for most of them to find the money to pay the deposit for another apartment in less than two weeks.

Isamar Ruiz, another long-time resident of Dellwood, said she had just applied for a place at Indian Sunset apartment complex, where the rent is $200 more expensive than what she currently pays.

Ruiz and Mendoza said the owner of Dellwood Apartments had said he was working with the insurance company to make sure every tenant got June’s rent and their deposit refunded. However, they said he explained that could take one or two months.

Melissa Santillana may be reached at 728-2585 or msantillana@lmtonline.com