HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner visited Timber Ridge apartments on Fleming Drive Friday morning after residents about overflowing trash, rats, roaches that are allegedly being ignored by management.
Turner was accompanied by several city of Houston department personnel during the visit.
One resident said he has squatters and looters in vacant apartments near him and another says that she has holes in her wall and accuse management of not fixing the existing issues.
Residents came to City Hall on Tuesday to complain about the living conditions being inhumane at the apartments.
Turner said after residents voiced their concerns, he sent a strike team, including officials from the Houston Police Department and Houston Public Works, to inspect and give the apartments an in depth look. The strike reportedly sound a number of deficiencies, such as the gates of the complex are not working, dark spots which can cause crime and overflow of trash at and around the dumpsters. Officials said one building in the complex is vacant and need to be boarded up because of homeless people breaking in and living inside the empty units.
Turner said they are not just dealing with management because it keeps turning over in frequent bases, but more so dealing with the owners of the complex. He said they are looking into legal, civil and junctive actions against the owners if they do not come quickly in compliance on all areas identified.
The Houston Solid Waste Department said they are monitoring every Wednesday to make sure they are not in violation and said right now, the complex is in compliance.
So far, the mayor said management has drained the pool, picked up trash, and say they are taking measures to fix the security gates and bringing out a contractor to address the rodent problems and health concerns.
“We will see whether or not they do those things, if they don’t, we will file a lawsuit against this particular apart complex and seek conjunctive relief against them. Our focus are on the owners of the complex and not just the management company because they have a history of bringing in a management company or persons and then they simple go back out,” Turner said.
Previously related stories: