KATY – A community activist is calling out a Katy apartment complex for mold and mice inside a unit where a mother and her four children live.
The mother said it took management months to respond to her emails and work orders, and now they want her to vacate the property because she has not paid February’s rent.
Qunha Thompson lives at the Silverstream Apartments on Kingsland Boulevard and says she used February’s rent money to put her family in a hotel.
The mother of four said management waited too late to treat the problem, and most of their belongings are now ruined by mice.
“I’m not sure if any mice got inside the bed, we haven’t been here in over a week now,” Thompson.
Thompson added that she has since given up on the apartments because of mice and mold problems.
“Our health and welfare are what’s important, especially when it comes to kids. They don’t care,” she said.
Thompson said the past five months have been a nightmare. She moved to the complex in September from downtown Houston.
“As soon as I moved in, I noticed they still had food from the last resident they didn’t come in and take care of. I took pictures and sent them to the leasing office, and they did not do anything,” she said.
Thompson said the mice came shortly after and management did not address the problem until last month. She said pest control put down sticky traps, but never treated the problem. Thompson added that she pays nine dollars a month for pest control services.
“All of my stuff has been exposed to mice. They are not trying to clean up, repair anything or give me any resources,” Thompson said.
The mother of four shared pictures with KPRC 2 that showed rats crawling on her kitchen countertops and stuck on sticky traps.
“I have anxiety. I’m depressed. I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Thompson said.
Community activist Candice Matthews is frustrated with the mothers’ living conditions and demanded answers from the leasing office.
A worker at the leasing office would not answer any questions and shut the door.
“This mom should not have to raise her children like that. This mom should not have to be staying at a hotel because you refuse to do your portion of the lease,” she said.
Matthews is pushing for accountability and change when it comes to landlords not fixing issues.
“I will be speaking with State Representative Ron Reynolds, who is the Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, and we are going to come up with some type of remedies that we can get passed during this session because this is unacceptable,” Dr. Matthews said.
KPRC 2 reached out to the management company through email and have not received a response.