SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A series of construction delays at an apartment complex is forcing hundreds of college students to jump from couch to couch or hotel to hotel. The residents were supposed to move into Pointe San Marcos apartments in August, but now they are being told they have to wait until the middle of October.
“I have dresses, I have bags, I have my purses,” said Brianda Ramirez with the trunk of her car wide open, full of bags and clothes.
Ramirez signed a lease with Pointe apartments, located at 316 N. Edward Gary St., earlier this year. The apartment is labeled as a luxury apartment building, with a resort-style pool and “the most over the top amenities.”
“I’m living out of my car; I don’t know where most of my stuff is because it’s just been everywhere,” Ramirez said. “I’m having to borrow things from people and having to ask if I can sleep at their apartment.”
Ramirez, along with hundreds of others, was supposed to move in on Aug. 15.
“I’ve been homeless now for about two months,” said Trent Baker who also signed a lease earlier this year. “I’ve been living at the Holiday Inn. You know, it’s a commute to class, I signed up here so I could just walk to class.”
Residents say the move-in date has changed four times and often they’re only given a notice 24 hours in advance. In emails to residents, the apartment says construction and inspection issues are behind the delay.
The complex has been giving residents two options: stay in a hotel at the apartment’s expense or with a friend or relative and be awarded $75 a day in the form of a gift card.
“You feel like you are visiting San Marcos, not living here,” said Baker.
Pointe Apartments has scheduled a shuttle to pick up the residents at the hotels where they are staying to take them to campus; however, students say they are unreliable and have missed class on multiple occasions.
Other residents like Dillon Marrs have been talking to the general manager, but say communication has been difficult.
“Their reputation right now in the San Marcos area is pretty low, so it is going to take a lot for them to rebuild that,” said Marrs.
Renters say various expenses are now starting to pile up as the weeks pass.
“I would like to get all the money I spent on storage, food and gas re-compensated because that is all money I didn’t plan on my budget to spend and my parents have been working to try and provide for me, which was never planned,” said Ramirez.
KXAN did speak with Pointe apartments General Manager Mikkel Lopez who said he had no comment on the matter and referred us to corporate. We have yet to hear back from their corporate office.
