According to residents who live at Valencia Way, formerly known as Eureka Gardens on Jacksonville’s westside, they do not have natural gas service at the moment.
This means there is no running hot water.
"We are unable to flush the toilets," said one unidentified resident. "I am using this, to go to a relative’s and fill it with water to flush this. The smell is God-awful and stinks up the entire unit.”
The resident said the complex has been without water for "three or four days."
"They did put in mobile showers in here, but a lot of us are skeptical of using those for sanitary reasons and safety purposes," the resident said. "You have more than 400-500 people out here, sharing the same mobile showers, it’s not healthy."
The resident said there has been no thought of moving from a place where the rent is $400 a month.
"I can’t afford to," the resident said. "We make $800 a month. People want twice the rent, in order to rent a home. We don’t have the means."
Matthew Carlucci, a Jacksonville at-large council member, said if he has to create an ordinance to get an interior and exterior inspection of Valencia Way, he will.
"It’s my opinion there needs to be another complete inspection on Eureka Gardens within the next two weeks," he said. "In addition, we should do an inspection and pull the annual four-point inspections done on all public housing through Jacksonville."
Millenia Companies, which manages the complex, said they are working hard and fast to resolve the situation, using laser technology to try and detect the gas leak.
