Mold, renovations force OU Delta Gamma House to close to residents

A milestone year for sophomores moving into the Delta Gamma sorority house at the University of Oklahoma quickly turned into months of disruptions, evacuations and ultimately a forced move out, after mold was discovered inside the building.

The Delta Gamma house is now temporarily closed to residents, though not shut down completely, while repairs and renovations begin. Members living on the second and third floors were moved out before winter break, and the organization says it has reimbursed students for second-semester rent and food.

But one mother, who asked not to be identified, says the problems began almost immediately after her daughter moved in.

“There were immediate problems with the air conditioning unit in the house in August, in September,” she said. “And then that’s when things kind of started trickling down — problems with washers leaking, washers flooded twice.”
She believes those issues grew into more serious conditions.

“You had visible mold in the bathrooms,” she said. “There was a hole in one of the ceilings of the bathroom that was open for at least a month.”

The mother said families were left scrambling for housing and paying out of pocket, while dealing with the stress of the situation as students tried to focus on school.

“This is not just about the living,” she said. “It’s the stress that these girls go through when they’re really just trying to get an education.”
In a statement, Delta Gamma leaders said they made the decision to close the second and third floors “after careful consideration with our professional partners.” The house corporation board says it has paused current remediation work to partner with architects and engineers on a more comprehensive renovation plan.
The organization also stated it will continue helping members find suitable housing.
The mother said the disruption has been especially upsetting for the students who looked forward to living in the house.
“I would say it’s very disappointing for the girls,” she said. “Because again, you only get one year to live there and that’s it.”

Full statement from Delta Gamma Sorority:

“Members living on the second and third floor moved out of the house before the winter break to allow for renovations after mold was discovered. After careful consideration with our professional partners, we made the necessary decision to close the second and third floors of the house for the spring semester. The house corporation board has decided to pause the current remediation work and take this opportunity to partner with architects and engineers to explore a more comprehensive renovation approach. With the closure of the second and third floors, members who were living in the house were reimbursed for their second semester rent and food.”