HARRIS COUNTY – Hurricane Harvey wiped out their homes now people in a northeast Harris County neighborhood have no street lights.
Their energy company intentionally turned off 55 lights over money. Both sides blame a group that no longer exists.
Without street lights and many homes vacant after Harvey, Greensbrook Forest Drive is too dark to see more than a few feet ahead. Neighbors called it a hazard caused by the homeowner’s association.
As an unincorporated area of Harris County, the HOA is responsible for paying street light bills. It did not. The area’s provider Stream Energy said the community has several years of past due bills.
The company disconnected power to street lights on July 5th. It caught homeowners and renters off guard. They worry about what happens next.
“We can’t take nightly walks anymore,” Tonia Scott, a homeowner said. “(We) definitely can’t do that.”
“The, (when) the dogs are loose, we can’t see them,” her husband said. “(We) can’t see potholes.”
“(We have) wild animals coming out the woods,” another neighbor said.
“You have to look over your shoulder all the time and who wants to look over their shoulder,” Brenda Porche, another homeowner said. “I see the kids pass my house every morning because there’s a bus stop over there by my house and that’s bad. I watch when I can. The mothers and fathers go to work. (The children) need to be safe. They need to be protected. They need to know their kids are protected. So we need some lights. We need to figure out this situation and help us.”
Stream Energy declined to disclose how much money the community owes.
“The Greensbrook HOA has not paid their monthly electricity bill for a period of several years,” Amy Power, President and CEO of The Power Group said. “We have actively tried to resolve the situation and have gone above and beyond what any provider would do in this situation. After years of trying to resolve this matter, we were left with this decision as a last resort and have complied with all PUC rules in this situation.”