Wen Becerra hasn’t had hot water or a working stovetop in his apartment since May 28 when his gas was cut after a neighboring apartment building blew up in an explosion that killed three people.
On Friday, he and other residents of The Bonnie apartments were told they had to be out of their units in three days.
“That’s impossible to move out in three days,” Becerra said. “The problem is that they send us the letters on Friday at 5:30. That's not fair because Saturday, everything’s closed. Sunday, everything's closed.”
The city says management extended the move-out date until Aug. 31 — giving residents a little more time, though only four people remain, Becerra said.
It’s especially difficult because most of the residents are largely low-income, Becerra said.
Now, Mission Oak Cliff — a local nonprofit — told KERA the group is going to cover about eight months rent for displaced residents.
“These people have been through something very traumatic,” said Mission Oak Cliff director Julie Hargrove. “They have been in their apartments, but due to the lack of gas, they haven't had hot water, they haven’t been able to cook for themselves. The electricity was even off for a short period of time. But mold has started to grow, and so they need to get out of there and start their lives over.”
A spokesperson for the city confirmed to KERA the City Attorney’s Office opened a case to address code violations at the building and requested repairs.
“The owner has informed tenants of plans to vacate the property while they work on the repairs,” the spokesperson said, adding that staff at the Office of Housing & Community Empowerment were working to help residents. “Staff also spoke with the property owner today who agreed to postpone eviction filings until the end of the month.”
KERA reached out to The Bonnie’s owner for an interview but did not hear back. This story will be updated with any response.
Becerra, who’s lived in the apartment for seven years, showed KERA a portion of his bathroom wall he painted over due to what he said was mold.
“I painted it myself because they never came,” he said.
Despite the challenges after the gas went out, he didn’t want to move.
“Honestly, I like this place to live because it's quiet, nobody messes with you,” Becerra said. “But it is what it is. When you have to move, you have to move.”
The Bonnie’s owner also owns the neighboring apartment, The Clyde, that was leveled by a gas explosion on May 28.
Three people — Marisol Perez, her 1-year-old son Erik Perez Jr. and Democratic activist Sylvia Collins — died in the explosion.
A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board found the apartment exploded after drillers taking soil samples struck an unmarked gas pipe. At least five lawsuits have been filed against the gas pipe owner, Atmos Energy, and the property owner.
An investigation by KERA found more than 4,800 gas pipes have been struck since the beginning of 2026.
Becerra was approached outside his home Wednesday by apartment sales agents trying to show him available units.
He told KERA the prices didn’t look too bad, and he would take a tour.
“You have to find a place to stay,” Becerra said. “You can't be living on the street.”
Dylan Duke is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan at dduke@kera.org.
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