The disabled couple rescued from a North Houston fire fears homelessness due to lack of suitable housing for their medical needs.
HOUSTON — A disabled couple is struggling to find housing after losing their home in an apartment fire last week at the Independence Hall Apartments in North Houston. Rose Garza, 62, who is blind, and her husband Joe, who is paralyzed, are on a fixed income and fear they may become homeless as they search for accessible housing that meets their complex medical needs.
The fire tore through Building 13 at the Independence Hall Apartments, claiming one life and injuring others who jumped to escape the flames. Rose and Joe, who lived in separate but neighboring apartments due to their extensive medical equipment needs, were rescued by firefighters after a harrowing escape.
“I went to the door started calling to people come here. And I can’t get him out,” Rose recalled about trying to help her husband during the fire. When asked if she was scared she wouldn’t get out, Rose said, “I was scared we weren’t going to get him out. I wasn’t going to move from there I was going to stay there.”
After the fire, the couple was taken to a Red Cross shelter, but the facility couldn’t accommodate their specialized needs.
“It was hard I didn’t know where anything was. I didn’t know where the restroom was that’s pretty important,” Rose explained.
Joe, who requires a special medical bed, was taken to the hospital while Rose found temporary shelter with friends.
“I am grateful to my friends they opened their home for me. I can’t be here forever,” she said.
The couple’s housing search has been complicated by their unique living arrangement and medical requirements. Joe’s medical bed and equipment fill an entire room, while Rose uses special braille devices that also require space.
Apartment managers offered them a one-bedroom unit, but Rose says it won’t work given their space requirements. The couple’s financial constraints add another layer of difficulty to their search.
“You call apartments, $1,000, $2,000…we don’t get that. We don’t get $2,000,” Rose said about rental costs.
Rose attempted to get help from housing agencies but was told the waitlist was closed.
State Representative Christina Morales responded, saying “our office has reached out to nonprofits if there is anything we can do to help.” Commissioner Garcia’s office also said they are aware of the situation and are working to see if they have any resources available.
For now, Rose continues to wait for a solution while navigating not just her physical blindness, but the uncertainty of not having a permanent home.
“I wanna lay down this is my spot. This is my home. I don’t have that right now. Is that difficult?” Rose asked.
The Garzas have set up a GoFundMe account to help.
Rose summed up her current state simply: “I never thought I would be without a place to stay.”