FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – Deputies arrested Samantha Morris on Friday on a charge for operating a boarding house without a permit. Investigators said a neighbor called police about an aggressive dog at the home off New Village lane near Alief. When deputies went inside, they found found 9 people with obvious signs of neglect and possible injuries. Investigators said 5 of those residents were transported to medical facilities for treatment.
KPRC2 Reporter Corley Peel spoke with Morris about her arrest. She said she was not running a boarding house. She said she was helping people struggling with drug addiction, mental health issues, domestic violence, and veterans have a place to stay.
“I take care of people. Every family has someone that they can no longer deal with. And most of the people come by word of mouth and some people have called me.
Morris said she and two other employees help provide services for the residents including food, clothing and transportation. She said they would drive residents to medical facilities if needed.
Justin Jurek is the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal. He said there are four homes in the county that have the boarding house permit.
The home off New Village lane is not listed. Jurek said investigators have been to the home in the past when it was owned by a different group home owner in 2022.
“We had several meetings and inspections, and then ultimately they end up closing, and vacate the premises in October of 2022. We went back for a follow up in late November to verify the home was still vacant. And in November of 2022, we closed it out as no longer an operating home because it was not occupied for over 30 days,” said Jurek.
But the house reopened.
“That’s a, that’s a contract between the operator and the property owners,” said Jurek.
Morris said she does not rent the home, but she does rent from the landlord. She said she rents out the rooms to the tenants. Morris said the homeowner is fine with the arrangement.
KPRC2 reached out to the homeowner, but they did not return our calls for comment.
A resident told KPRC2 how much he pays in rent.
“I pay $950. My dad spends about, $200 to $300 out of pocket for me to stay here,” said Justin McClure.
Investigators said a woman covered in human waste was found inside the house. Morris did not directly answer questions regarding the resident’s conditions, but said some of the tenants were bedridden and required help when being changed.
Corley asked Morris why she would not want to get the permit to be a boarding house.
“I’m interested in it. I know what I got to learn about it, but I just don’t want it in this house. I’ve been taking care of people all of my life.”
Morris told Corley the employees at the home have some CNA classes and basic experience with people who suffer from mental illness and addiction.
Authorities are investigating the alleged abuse and neglect in the home, but no other arrests or charges have been filed at this time.
Adult Protective Services sent KPRC2 the below statement:
Adult Protective Services is investigating the unpermitted group home on New Village Lane alongside law enforcement. However, APS is not a regulatory agency and we do not have the authority to license facilities or close illegal group homes. Families looking to place a loved one in a group home setting should review the following links to make sure the facility is permitted or licensed:
Homes permitted by Harris County Sheriff’s Department - Boarding Home—Harris County Texas Sheriff’s Office (harriscountyso.org)
Homes permitted by Houston Police Department (within the city limits of Houston) - HPD Boarding Homes – Mental Health Division (houstoncit.org)
Homes permitted by Fort Bend County - Approved-Boarding-Homes-list.pdf (fortbendcountytx.gov)
Facilities licensed by Health and Human Services - Long-term Care | Texas Health and Human Services