Hundreds of elderly, low-income residents displaced after Ida damaged Houma public housing complexes

Residents of Houma's two public housing complexes have been added to the list of low-income families and elderly tenants left without a place to return home, at least for now, because of damage inflicted by Hurricane Ida.

Terrebonne Parish officials are hopeful to have temporary housing available before the end of the month.

Bayou Towers and Senator Circle are separate properties owned, operated and maintained by the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority. 

Bayou Towers has about 300 apartments for low-income seniors and elderly disabled residents. Senator Circle has roughly 217 units for low-income families that vary in size, ranging from one to four bedrooms. 

This past week, the Housing Authority posted two letters on its Facebook page informing tenants that insurance adjusters determined residents can not return to live in their units because of "extensive" storm damage.

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"We are diligently working with all service providers to restore power and commence repairs immediately," one letter reads. "Until we are cleared, you will not be able to resume living in the units."

The Courier and Daily Comet made multiple attempts to reach Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority Executive Director Nikita Gilton for comments and additional information but has not received a response.

Terrebonne Parish President Gory Dove said Friday that the parish hopes to have temporary housing available to the residents in the next seven to 10 days. Based on what he's heard, Dove believes many of the displaced residents were able to stay with other family members.

This is at least the case for Candice Williams and her children, who have lived at Senator Circle for six and a half years, as well as Kristy Cobb, whose mother has been a resident at Bayou Towers for more than a decade.

Williams evacuated to Texas with her five children and her mother in advance of Ida. They returned about a week ago to find the roof damaged and tarped. Water had come through the windows and the contents inside her home were molding. She was able to salvage some clothing and has been staying with her sister in the New Orleans area since.

Williams said one of the biggest issues for her is a lack of communication from the Housing Authority. She said the agency had not contacted her about the apartments' condition prior to returning to Houma. 

"The lack of communication is really the biggest issue for me. But other than that, like, I mean there's nothing that we can really do about it, you know?" Williams said.

Asked how she will find housing back in Houma, Williams laughed.

"I have no idea," she said. "We're really just playing it day by day."

For Cobb, having her mother, Elizabeth Courteaux, stay with her during the storm was part of the plan her family established for strong hurricanes. Since Ida, Cobb and her family have rearranged their home to better accommodate her mother's extended stay.

However, they have lingering questions, such as when will they be able to retrieve her mother's personal belongings from Bayou Towers. Cobb said her mother gets phone calls from other residents but doesn't believe she has been contacted by "anyone official."

"Everybody says, ‘Oh, it's just possessions, it's just belongings,' " Cobb said. "If everything is molded over and she's lost everything, (then) she's lost some of the only pictures she'll ever have of her family and just mementos, you know, like things from her mom that passed away."

Cobb explained she grew up in Montegut and that her parents and her family lost everything to Hurricane Andrew, which hit the area in 1992. She wants more information about the condition of her mother's apartment and details on the steps the Housing Authority is taking for the future.

"You know, she felt like living in Bayou Towers that she was a little bit safer up here in Houma and here she is losing everything all over again," Cobb said. "And if it's not the case, then you know, a little notification of the plan might give her a little hope."

-- Emily Enfinger is a reporter for The Courier and the Daily Comet. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyEnfinger. Email Emily at eenfinger@gannett.com.