SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Some residents at Northern Hills Manufactured Home Community in Springdale have reported being without gas for the last 22 days now.
Residents say they noticed their gas was out around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. Management at the community said it's because of a broken line.
Gabriel Bergez has lived at Northern Hills for a few years. This gas outage is impacting her ability to cook on the stove for her four kids and heat her home, as temperatures continue to drop.
"We're eating out a lot. They have an electric skillet that I cook in, or I attempt to cook on the grill," Bergez said. "The babies have all bunched up and using extremely heavy blankets and bigger quilts. I woke up this morning and I was shaking cold. My body hurt to move."
She believes there should've been more communication between residents and management. She said there was a notice posted to the leasing office door about the situation, but that's it.
"I was speaking up for kids and other people in the neighborhood. I don't care what the outcome is, kick me out. You'll be doing me a favor. You will gladly be doing me a favor," Bergez said. "It's not an inconvenience. It's your job that you're failing to do."
She said she's not afraid to take action if the issue persists.
"If they aren't going to provide what they're legally required to provide are in our contract, then I'm not paying rent. And legally, according to the law, I don't have to, if they aren't going to provide habitable housing," Bergez said.
In a statement provided to 5NEWS, Northern Hills Manufactured Home Community said the following:
"The comfort and safety of Northern Hills residents is management’s top priority. Recently, a resident attempted unauthorized digging and struck a gas line. In the process of repairing the gas line, we conducted a full pressure test of the system and are working directly with Black Hills Energy to ensure the testing is completed safely and properly. At this time, gas is safely functioning to half of the residents, and we have teams working every day to restore service to all residents as soon as possible."
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