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[Apartment Ordinance Community Meeting on March 5, 2026.]
ORDINANCE.I WANT TO THANK MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM, AND OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE CHAIR TIFFANY THOMAS FOR HOSTING THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND, AND REALLY TAKING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE ON MAKING SURE COUNCIL HOLDS ITSELF TO PROPOSING SOME CHANGES THAT WILL, UH, IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS ACROSS OUR CITY THAT CALL APARTMENTS HOME.
AND I DO ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHO'S HERE, UH, AND PLACE A COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS HAS JOINED US.
AND WE HAVE, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM A NUMBER OF COUNCIL OFFICES.
I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON REPRESENTED, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN AS WELL.
ANY OTHER OFFICE THAT I MISSED.
STATE, STATE SENATOR MORRIS MILES AND DISTRICT I, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ ALSO REPRESENTED.
AND COMMISSIONER BRIANS WONDERFUL.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME INFORMATION HERE AROUND THE CURRENT ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES FOR, UH, OUR APARTMENT INSPECTIONS.
AND THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BREAK OUT INTO DIFFERENT ROOMS, ONE FOR TENANTS AND ONE FOR FOR OPERATORS, OWNERS.
AND, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UH, YOUR FEEDBACK IS CRITICAL IN HELPING US CRAFT SOMETHING THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE AND, UH, HAS SUPPORT FROM THOSE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
OKAY, SO I WENT TO THE LAST ONE THAT WAS AN A LEAVE, SO I'M JUST GONNA TELL MARTHA GETS HERE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA START HAVING, WE'RE GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTED HERE, A BUNCH OF OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND MEMBERS OF STAFF, AND I'M GONNA JUST ASK THEM TO COME ON UP IN WHATEVER ORDER YOU WANT TO.
WE HAVE POLICE, WE HAVE HEALTH, WE HAVE PERMITTING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO AS FAR AS APARTMENT INSPECTION, WHAT, HOW WE HANDLE COMPLAINTS THAT WE GET FROM TENANTS.
SO WE'LL START OFF WITH SERGEANT SIMON FROM HPD.
I'M ASSIGNED TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FIELD OPERATIONS OFFICE.
UH, I'M ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT UNIT.
IT'S BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY RE-TASKED.
AND ALONG WITH THAT, THE ORDINANCE WAS IT'S TIME FOR A REVAMP.
THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE WAS 2006, AND IT'S TIME FOR TO CHANGE, UH, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT SOLELY.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS ORDINANCE AS IT TAKES A MORE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
IN THE PAST ORDINANCE, THE ENFORCEMENT OF POOR APARTMENT MANAGEMENT FELL SOLELY TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT'S TRAINED, YOU KNOW, WE TRAIN OUR OFFICERS IN ARREST, SEARCH, AND SEIZURE, NOT REALLY THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, STRUCTURAL, AND SO ON.
OH, THIS, THIS NEW ORDINANCE, THIS NEW ORDINANCE IS GOING TO, UH, PROVIDE A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH AND HOLD APARTMENT OWNERS AND MANAGERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE BEHAVIOR AND THE CONDITION OF THEIR PROPERTY.
AND IF NEEDED, HOLD TENANTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE BEHAVIOR AND CONDITION OF THEIR UNITS IF A CRIMINAL CRIMINAL ELEMENT EXISTS.
AND, UH, I WILL BE ON THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
I WILL BE WITH THE, UH, OWNERS, TENANTS, CORPORATIONS, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THAT COHORT OF MINE WILL BE WITH THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, I WILL BE WITH THE OWNERS AND LANDLORDS, AND A COHORT OF MINE WILL BE WITH THE TENANTS.
THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, SERVING AS A BUILDING OFFICIAL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, WITHIN THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER, WE HAVE OUR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS. UM, WITHIN THE BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT, WE ADMINISTER AND ENFORCE OVER 400 PERMIT TYPES.
UH, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY, WE'RE REVIEWING OVER 65,000 COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PLANS, AS WELL AS PERFORMING ON AVERAGE IN EXCESS OF 800,000 INSPECTIONS, UH, EVERY YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE, WITH, WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE, UH, WE WANNA ENSURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT INTERPRETATION OF OUR BUILDING CODES, ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS
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IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AND PROTECT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND MAINTAIN INTEGRITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S BUILT ENVIRONMENT.SO, WITHIN, UH, THE APARTMENTS IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE ON, ON RECORD IN OUR DATABASE OVER 4,000 MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES.
SO OVER 4,000 PROPERTIES THAT ARE KNOWN AS MULTIFAMILY.
THAT'S NOT BUILDINGS, THAT'S, THAT'S PROPERTIES.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT COULD BE IN THE TENS OF TWENTIES OF THOUSANDS.
SO THE HABITABILITY ORDINANCE, SERGEANT SIMON, WAS ALLUDING TO BEING, UH, PASSED IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
2009 IS WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED.
UH, THE INTENT AND THE GOAL OF THE HABITABILITY ORDINANCE WAS TO ENSURE THAT MULTIFAMILY STRUCTURES, THEY MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR HABITABILITY, AND IT ESTABLISHES A PROGRAMMATIC INSPECTION THAT'S CONDUCTED ON A FOUR YEAR CYCLE.
OUR INSPECTORS UTILIZED THE CHECKLIST THAT WAS, UH, IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE ORDINANCE THAT IT'S, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ITEMS OF STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL, ELEC, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING VI PLUMBING CODE VIOLATIONS THROUGHOUT THE EXTERIOR OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UM, WE DO IN TURN WORK ON WITH OUR PARTNERING AGENCIES, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON FIRE, UM, WITH SOME OF THESE JOINT JOINT INSPECTIONS REQUIRE INVOLVEMENT FROM SOME OF THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WITHIN THEIR TEAMS. UM, AND IT'S ALSO A VALUE TO NOTE THAT 3 1 1 IS OUR PREFERRED METHOD OF REPORTING TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS.
AND I KNOW FOLKS ROUTINELY CALL 3 1 1 FOR VARIOUS ISSUES WITHIN APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UM, IT IS OUR, WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE DONE SOME RESTRUCTURING WITHIN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT HERE RECENTLY, WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATION TEAMS NOW WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP.
SO WE TRIAGE THOSE COMPLAINTS AS THEY COME IN, AND WE SEND INSPECTORS AND INVESTIGATORS OUT TO GO ASSESS THOSE COMPLAINTS AND ISSUE NOTICES OR VIOLATIONS TO GET THESE ITEMS CORRECTED.
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN SOME, A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING INTERDEPARTMENTALLY WITH THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS ORDINANCE TO GIVE IT SOME STRENGTH TO HOLD THESE PROPERTY OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE, TO GET SOME RESOLVED OF THESE ISSUES SO THAT WE PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR THESE FOLKS TO LIVE HERE IN THE CITY.
SO YOUR FEEDBACK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US, AND, UH, WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO MEETING WITH YOU GUYS WHEN WE BREAK OUT THIS, THIS EVENING.
I'M THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OVER THE, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
I'M FILLING IN FOR CHIEF, UH, CLARK.
UH, HE COULDN'T MAKE IT TONIGHT, BUT I'VE, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN WITH THE, IN THE, UH, IN THE DEPARTMENT FOR 40 YEARS, BUT 30, 30 OF THOSE YEARS I'VE SPENT IN, UH, IN THE, UH, THE INSPECTIONS DIVISION.
SO I'VE KIND OF A LITTLE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
OUR ROLE IN THIS IS WE HAVE 14 INSPECTORS, AND WE WORK ON A FOUR YEAR CYCLE.
WE DO OVER 4,000 INSPECTIONS A YEAR.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S OUR, OUR APARTMENT INSPECTORS WORK MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, BUT WE DO COVER THE CITY 24 HOURS A DAY.
WE DO HAVE A NIGHT CREW, AND WE DO HAVE A WEEKEND CREW THAT CAN RESPOND TO ANY COMPLAINTS, UH, THAT ANY OF THE APARTMENTS HAVE, AND WE CAN GO OUT AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM.
WE CURRENTLY OPERATE UNDER THE HOUSTON FIRE CODE AND THE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU BUREAU STANDARDS.
AND OF COURSE, WE, WE ALSO REFER TO OUR HOUSTON ORDINANCE, CHAPTER 42 FOR ACCESS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WE DO, WE, WE KEEP, OUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS IN FOUR WHERE WE KEEP OUR RECORDS.
WE TRACK OUR, OUR SAFETY RECORDS, AND WE, AND WE, AND, UH, 3 1 1 FOR, FOR OUR, OUR COMPLAINTS.
UH, ONE OF THE, WE HANDLE OVER 500 COMPLAINTS IN A YEAR, UH, AND OVER 1000 RED ACK COMPLAINTS.
AND THE RED TACK COMPLAINTS ARE LIKE FOR OUR, OUR, OUR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ALARM SYSTEMS THAT WE WOULD GO OUT AND WE WOULD RESPOND TO THOSE COMPLAINTS AS WELL.
SO WE, WE REGULARLY, UH, ASSIST WITH THE, ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, ANY COMPLAINTS THAT COME FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE, THAT WILL ASSIST WITH THEM TO, TO GET IN COMPLIANCE.
SO, AND, UH, I'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE AT THE BREAKOUT AREA.
I'M AN INSPECTOR WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
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OUR DEPARTMENT, WE RECEIVE COMPLAINTS THROUGH THE 3 1 1, CHRIS.UM, AND THEN ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT COMPLAINT, WE THEN SEND OUT AN INSPECTOR WHERE WE GIVE OUT A LEGAL NOTICE.
UM, OUR MAIN PRIORITY IS OVERFLOW VIOLATIONS.
ONCE WE RECEIVE THE, UM, COMPLAINT, THE APARTMENT THEN HAS THREE DAYS TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE FOR THE OVERFLOW VIOLATION.
UM, ONCE IT IS NOT, I'M SORRY, ONCE THE COMPLIANCE IS MET, THEN WE SCHEDULE A REINSPECTION DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX REMAINS IN COMPLIANCE.
IF THEY'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE AT THAT TIME, WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH LEGAL ESCALATIONS SUCH AS CITATIONS.
UM, IF THE APARTMENT CONTINUES TO REMAIN IN VIOLATION, WE WILL PLACE THEM ON A WEEKLY MONITORING LIST WHERE WE DO GO OUT WEEKLY TO MAKE SURE THAT COMPLIANCE IS MET.
I AM AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT IS THE MISSION OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND THE WELLBEING OF ALL HOUSTONIANS.
UH, PART OF THAT MISSION IS ENSURING THAT ALL CITIZENS HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE AND HEALTHY HOUSING.
OUR HABIT HABITABILITY PROGRAM, WHICH WE USUALLY CALL OUR APARTMENT COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, IS, UH, A BIG PART OF THAT.
AND THEY WORK TIRELESSLY TO FILL THAT GOAL.
UM, OUR TEAM OF TRAINED INVESTIGATORS WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF HABITABILITY ISSUES AND MULTIFAMILY DWELLINGS.
UH, THE TYPE OF ISSUES THAT WE HANDLE INSIDE OF APARTMENT UNITS, UH, INCLUDE PES, PEST INFESTATION, UH, APPROPRIATE VENTILATION OR HVAC ISSUES, UH, AVAILABILITY OF HOT WATER, UH, OR, AND ALSO WATER INTRUSION INTO THE APARTMENT.
UH, OUTSIDE OF THE UNITS, WE CAN ADDRESS THINGS THAT COULD, UM, CONDITIONS THAT COULD HARBOR OR CONTRIBUTE TO PEST INFESTATION, HIGH GRASS ACCUMULATION OF TRASH, UM, POOL SAFETY, UH, AND ALSO ANY SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS.
ALL THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UH, ONCE A COMPLAINT IS VERIFIED THROUGH OUR INSPECTION, WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE OWNERS AND THE REPRESENTATIVE AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO GET THE VIOLATIONS RESOLVED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE DO NOT SET OUT TO BE PUNITIVE, BUT WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE ACTS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ENCOURAGE RESIDENT RESIDENTS TO REPORT ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES THROUGH 3 1 1.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET THINGS IN FRONT OF US, UH, SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE COMPLAINT IS ROUTED TO NOT JUST US, BUT OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
UH, LAST, I JUST APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO ENGAGE WITH US TODAY, 'CAUSE WE REALLY ARE BETTER TOGETHER.
HI, HERBERT SIMS, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AS, UM, CHRISTOPHER TOLD YOU EARLIER, WE HAVE DONE SOME REORGING.
WE'RE NO LONGER IN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT BUSINESS.
HOWEVER, WE DO WORK WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT CAME UP HERE EARLIER THROUGH OUR OFFICE MAYOR'S ASSISTANCE OFFICE.
AND WE WORK WITH THESE DEPARTMENTS TO SOLVE ISSUES THAT YOU BRING TO THEM.
WE DO, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD WALKTHROUGHS WITH MANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND DRT.
WE REPORT MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT COMES THROUGH TO THE CITY, OR 3 1 1 ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE WITH MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IN THE CITY.
WE ALSO HAVE LANDLORD, UM, RESIDENT MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE, FORMS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, CODE ENFORCEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF CODE ENFORCEMENT IN THE CITY, Y'ALL, AS YOU CAN SEE IN A LOT OF TENTACLES THAT TOUCH MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE CONDUCT THESE FORMS TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ON WHAT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS, WHAT DEPARTMENT TAKES CARE OF THOSE ISSUES, SO THAT YOU ARE NOT OUT THERE, UM, WONDERING WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR 3 1 1 ISSUE.
WE ALSO PROVIDE OVERSEE OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO RIGHT NOW YOU'RE IN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BETWEEN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 51 AND 45, AND THOSE ARE TWO ACTIVE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
ABOUT 55 ARE ACTIVE, AND THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO THE RESIDENTS.
WE HAVE A FEW SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENTS PRESENT TODAY, AND I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THIS INFORMATION BACK TO THEIR RESIDENTS SO THEY'RE WELL INFORMED AND ENGAGED SO THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMATIVE DECISION OF HOW TO PROCEED AND WHAT TO ADVISE THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TALK TO US.
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SORRY, I'M NOT THAT TALL.I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND AS YOU KNOW, HOUSING IS IN OUR NAME.
SO, UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO, UM, UH, WRITE TICKETS OR DO SORT OF THOSE KIND OF ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO ADDRESSING THOSE PROBLEMS. BUT WE DO HAVE SOME LEVERS THAT WE PULL, UM, WITH APARTMENTS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR DEPARTMENT MANAGES FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS, LIKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, WE INVEST IN A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO TRY TO BRING AFFORDABILITY TO NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, WE MANAGE DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS AND DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDS.
UM, AND SO THAT GIVES US SOME, UM, SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW, HOW APARTMENTS AND MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS ARE FINANCED.
WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE APARTMENTS THAT DO THE ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE CITY HAS IN OUR ENFORCEMENT CODES, UH, WE CAN ALSO BRING TO BEAR FEDERAL AND STATE ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT CAN HELP ON PROJECTS OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT WOULD HAVE, SO SAY FEDERAL VOUCHERS IN THEM, OR MAYBE THEY HAVE, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS.
THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE COULD, WE COULD HELP AND BRING OTHER AGENCIES TO BEAR TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THOSE APARTMENTS ARE LIVABLE.
UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE AND COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS HERE.
UM, UH, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT APARTMENTS THAT MAY BE, UM, FINANCE THROUGH TAX EXEMPTIONS LIKE HOUSING FINANCE, CORPORATION HOUSING, OR PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION HOUSING.
THOSE ENTITIES, UM, ARE TAX EXEMPT, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HABITABLE AND THAT THEY ARE, UM, FULFILLING THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE CITY.
SO, UM, WE PLAY, UH, AN ASSISTANCE ROLE IN THIS.
UM, AND ALWAYS WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
'CAUSE THAT TRAFFIC WAS HORRIBLE, UH, GETTING HERE.
I I, YOU KNOW, I WAS DRIVING IN AND I THOUGHT, MAN, THIS IS WHY I ALWAYS STAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.
BUT, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, I ALSO SEE COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS IS HERE, UH, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE? ALL RIGHT.
UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S ABSENCE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, ON BEHALF OF MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, THIS IS OUR SECOND, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING, AND THIS IS AGAIN, YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK WE CAN DO BETTER WITH THE APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE.
UH, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
IF YOU ARE A TENANT AND YOU HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE ORDINANCE, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU ARE AN OWNER OPERATOR, IF YOU ARE A LANDLORD, UM, IF YOU ARE DOING ANY OF THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, UH, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AS FAR AS, UH, THE WAY TONIGHT WE'LL GO, WE ARE GOING TO DO IT VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID THE FIRST NIGHT.
WE WILL HAVE TWO BREAKOUT ROOMS. IF YOU ARE, UM, WANTING TO SPEAK WITH, UM, THE TENANT GROUP, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND TEXAS HOUSERS WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT, AND THEY WILL BE IN THE ROOM TO OUR, TO MY RIGHT.
UM, IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS AS A PROPERTY MANAGER OR A LANDLORD, UM, I WILL HOST THAT, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING ON THE ROOM ON MY LEFT.
UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL GO INTO OUR BREAKOUT SESSIONS FOR ABOUT 30, 40 MINUTES OR HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES FOR US TO HEAR FROM YOU.
AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK AND RECONVENE.
I WILL SHARE, UH, NEXT STEPS AFTER WE HAVE ACCUMULATED ALL OF THE FEEDBACK AND YOUR IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS ORDINANCE BETTER.
WE WILL HAVE A JOINT HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING ON MARCH THE 30TH AT 2:00 PM AT CITY HALL.
THIS WILL BE OUR OPPORTUNITY TO HASH THIS OUT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, WE WILL ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC SESSION, UM, WHERE FOLKS CAN SPEAK
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AT THAT, UM, JOINT MEETING AS WELL.UM, AND THEN WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS AFTER OUR JOINT COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS COMMITTED TO GETTING THIS ON THE ACTUAL COUNCIL AGENDA.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMELINE? THAT IS OUR EXPECTED TIMELINE.
IF ANYTHING CHANGES, WE WILL DEFINITELY LET EVERYONE KNOW.
BUT THE, THE PLAN IS, UH, JOINT COMM COMMITTEE MEETING ON MARCH THE 30TH.
WITHIN 30 DAYS, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE THIS APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
DURING THOSE, THAT 30 DAY WINDOW, WE, WE CAN STILL, UM, HEAR FROM YOU.
FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US, UM, AT OUR, AT OUR COUNCIL OFFICES, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE DEFINITELY WILL CONTINUE TO, TO GET THAT FEEDBACK.
SO IF YOU'RE TALKING TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AND, AND THEY DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW OR YOU HEAR SOMETHING NEW AND YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH US, UM, THE GOAL IS TO HEAR FROM AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, UM, AS MANY TENANTS AS POSSIBLE, AS MANY OWNERS AS POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE ISSUES SO MANY TIMES HAVE THE BEST SOLUTIONS.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE END UP WITH A WIN-WIN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS.
UH, LAMBDA, ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO ANNOUNCE BEFORE WE DO BREAKOUTS? SO WHAT SHE SAID WAS, WE NEED TO SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE WE ARE LIVE STREAMING ON HTV.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR BREAKOUT SESSIONS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE UTILIZING THE MICROPHONES AND FOR THE INTERPRETATION, WE ARE INTERPRETING IN SPANISH, MANDARIN, URDU, AND VIETNAMESE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, HOUSTONIANS ALL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND BREAK OUT, UM, TO OUR BREAKOUT ROOMS. WE'LL HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL GATHER BACK IN ABOUT 35, 40 MINUTES.
SUPPORTER, WE'RE GREAT TO HAVE YOU IN THIS SPACE.
I DO JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT IF ANYONE NEEDS TRANSLATION, IF YOU ALL SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE, THERE IS ACCESSIBILITY FOR THAT.
AND SO IF Y'ALL WANNA GO SCAN THE QR CODE TO GET ACCESS TO UNDERSTAND IN THE LANGUAGE YOU'RE MOST COMFORTABLE.
OKAY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE EXCITED TO GET STARTED.
KIND OF INTERESTED IN WHAT TENANTS WANNA SEE IN THIS ORDINANCE.
SO BASICALLY FOR A LITTLE BACKGROUND, WE ARE REVAMPING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER KIND OF BROUGHT FORWARD AN APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SAID WOULD CARRY THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT COUNT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM IS DOING, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, TO KIND OF TAKE THAT ORDINANCE THROUGH, THROUGH TO THE FINISH LINE.
AND WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES, SINCE ABOUT 60%, CLOSE TO 60% OF HOUSTONIANS ARE RENTERS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOME MORE TEETH AND SOME MORE, UM, ORGANIZATION INTO MAKING SURE THAT TENANT COMPLAINTS ARE HANDLED EXPEDITIOUSLY.
AND THAT REPEAT VIOLATORS REPEAT OWNERS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS AND THOSE APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT RECEIVE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS AND DON'T HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD OF GETTING THINGS FIXED THAT THEY WILL BE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SINGLED OUT.
SO WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE ITEMS ARE ADDRESSED.
WE, THEY'LL, THEY'RE, THEY'LL BE IN A SEPARATE CATEGORY, UH, OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS UNTIL, AND THEY'LL BE HELD TO THAT, TO ACCOUNTABILITY UNTIL THEY CAN GET THEIR NAME, KIND OF THEIR NAME, KIND OF OFF THAT LIST.
BECAUSE WE OFTEN, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING PUBLIC SESSION FOR YEARS, WE'VE HEARD TENANTS COME TO THE PODIUM AND TALK ABOUT THE HORRIBLE CONDITIONS IN THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
SO WE REALLY, AS A CITY COUNCIL, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN WITHIN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S POWER TO, TO HOLD, UH, THOSE RESPONSIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE PEOPLE HAVING A SAFE, RELIABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
SO REALLY, WE JUST, WE'VE GOT A WHITE BOARD HERE.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS.
AND, AND I KIND OF WAS, I WENT TO THE LAST MEETING AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS RAN IT.
AND SHE BASICALLY STARTED OFF BY ASKING PEOPLE, AND REMEMBER TO COME TO THE MIC.
IF YOU WANNA TALK, JUST TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
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UH, IF YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE IN, IN MAKING A COMPLAINT AS A TENANT, BIG OR SMALL, HOW YOU, HOW YOU COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW YOU MADE YOUR COMPLAINT.DID YOU CALL THREE ONE ONE? DID YOU CALL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT? WAS IT EXPEDITIOUSLY RESOLVED? DID IT TAKE A LONG TIME? WE JUST WANNA HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN MAKING A COMPLAINT AND HOW IT WAS HANDLED, AND THAT THAT WILL HELP US INCORPORATE WAYS TO MAKE THINGS GO SMOOTHER, PERHAPS WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, FEEL FREE TO JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS HAPPENED WITH YOU AT YOUR APARTMENT.
JUST GO TO THE MIC AND WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
FIRST, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
UH, IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL AND I'M, I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, MY NAME IS DOUGLAS GADO JUNIOR.
UH, I PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED 24 11 WASHINGTON, UH, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX THERE, UM, I WAS THE COMMUNITY LEADER.
I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIZING THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPENED THERE IN RESPONSE TO, UM, ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE EXPERIENCED INSIDE THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT THEN ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED UNDER I, ON I 10, THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY THAT LIVED THERE KIND OF WERE PUSHED OUT OF THAT LOCATION.
AND SO THEY STARTED TO, IN INVADE, I, I DON'T WANNA SAY INVADE 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF MEAN, BUT, BUT LIKE, THEY STARTED TO COME INTO THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
AND, UM, WHEN I WAS AT 24 11, PRIOR TO THAT EVEN HAPPENING, WE HAD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DOORS, THE EXTERIOR DOORS BEING BROKEN, BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD COME AND THEY WOULD BREAK THE DOORS OPEN, THEN THEY WOULD COME INTO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX AND THEY WOULD BREAK INTO THE STORAGE UNITS AND THE APARTMENT COM, THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND HOW DID YOU REPORT THOSE INSTANCES? DIRECTLY TO ME.
BROKEN DOORS DIRECTLY TO THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY THROUGH THEIR TICKETING SYSTEM.
SO THERE IS A TRACK RECORD OF IT.
UM, SO IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THOSE DOORS TO GET REPAIRED.
PART OF THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT WAS THAT IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET PARTS, WHICH OKAY, FINE, I GUESS.
UM, BUT IT, THE MAIN, THE MAIN RESPONSE WAS THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS WERE NOT GOING TO PUT FORTH SO MUCH INVESTMENT INTO GETTING IT FIXED EVERY, EVERY TIME THAT THEY WOULD BREAK IT, BECAUSE THEY WERE BREAKING IT.
LIKE EVERY WEEKEND THEY WOULD COME AND FIX IT.
IT WOULD GET BROKEN THE NEXT WEEKEND.
SOME GUYS WERE SHOWING UP AT CROWBAR NOW AND THEN TO BREAK THE DOORS OPEN OR GET INTO THE APARTMENT, THE GARAGES OR WHATEVER.
SO THEN WHEN THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY CAME AND CAME TO OUR APARTMENT BUILDING, THE DOORS WERE ALREADY BROKEN.
THERE WAS A GUY WHO WAS LIVING IN OUR CLUB VIEW ROOM, WHICH IS A DOWNTOWN VIEW ROOM THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
HE WAS LIVING IN THERE FOR LIKE THREE MONTHS.
COPS SHOWED UP AS SOON AS THEY WOULD SHOW UP, SOMEHOW HE KNEW THAT THEY WERE COMING.
HE WOULD GET OUTTA THE BUILDING, HE'D BE GONE.
HE WOULD COME BACK THREE HOURS LATER, WE CALLED THE COPS AGAIN.
'CAUSE SOMEHOW HE KNEW THAT THEY WERE COMING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD COME BACK AND FOR THREE MONTHS ON AND ON AND ON, RIGHT THERE, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY SECURITY.
WE WOULD TELL THE, THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, THEY WOULDN'T GET IT FIXED.
SO, SO SECURITY ISSUES, BROKEN DOORS.
I DON'T, I THINK THE HPD REP IS IN THE OTHER ROOM, BUT, BUT WE, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS ADDRESSED.
BUT THOSE HAVE BEEN YOUR ISSUES.
YOU MAINLY DEALT THROUGH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.
UM, ONLY YOUR ONLY CITY CONTACT WAS HPD? NO, ACTUALLY.
SO ONCE IT ESCALATED TO A POINT WHERE I KNEW THAT WE COULDN'T GET THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND THERE WAS NO WAY FOR US TO GET RECOURSE THROUGH THE PROPERTY OWNERS OR EVEN ANY KIND OF CONTACT WITH THEM, I REACHED OUT TO MARIO CASTILLO'S OFFICE AND BECAUSE I HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM PRIOR TO THAT.
AND SO I REACHED OUT TO HIM, I TOLD HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON.
I REACHED OUT TO, I BELIEVE MS. PLUMMER AS WELL.
UM, I BELIEVE I ACTUALLY SENT NUMEROUS EMAILS TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MAYBE NOT YOUR OFFICE, I'M NOT SURE YET.
UM, AND JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND I, I ASKED FOR A MEETING BETWEEN HPD, THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, AND ME AND SOME OF THE OTHER RESIDENTS WHO LIVED IN THE BUILDING.
AND THEN AFTER THAT IS WHEN THIS ALL STARTED TO HAPPEN.
THAT'S ALL REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK.
UM, WHAT'S YOUR ZIP CODE, SIR? CURRENTLY 7, 7 0 0 9.
THAT APARTMENT BUILDING IS IN 7 7 0 0 7.
SO SECURITY ISSUES, PROBLEMS WITH THE UNHOUSED AND, AND KIND OF A LONG TIME PERIOD BEFORE THINGS WERE GETTING FIXED YES.
BECAUSE THEY KEPT HAVING SO RE HAPPENING SO REGULARLY.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO, WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW IS THAT THE APARTMENTS, I'M SURE THE HBD DON'T KNOWS THIS ALREADY, BUT THE APARTMENTS ARE TARGETED BY CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WILL COME IN EVERY NOW AND THEN TO BREAK INTO THE APARTMENT GARAGES.
THEY WILL HIT A BUNCH OF CARS AND STEAL THEIR WHEELS, AND THEN THEY TAKE YEAH, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND SERGEANT SIMON, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU.
UH, THEY HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES AT HIS COMPLEX WITH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY BREAK THE OUTSIDE DOORS
[00:30:01]
AND THEY KEEP COMING AND BREAKING THE OUT OUTSIDE DOORS.AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KIND OF CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE, YOU KNOW, REPLACEMENT PARTS AND GETTING THAT, GETTING IT FIXED AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME SECURITY ISSUES.
JUST WANT TO, THEY'VE CALLED H-P-D-H-P D'S BEEN OUT, BUT WOULDN'T, WHEN YOU SAY OUTSIDE DOORS, REFERRING TO JUST THE, THE FRONT DOORS OF A RESIDENCE OR, OR, OR LIKE THE GATES, EXTERIOR DOORS WHERE YOU GO IN ONE DOOR AND THEN YOU GET INTO ALL THE DOORS OF THE APARTMENT.
UM, SO, UH, CONCERNING, AND AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK WITH YOU ON MY QUESTION TO YOU.
AND WE GET WHAT YOU AFTERWARDS AND JUST, HEY, WHO IS IN CARE CUSTODY TO CONTROL THIS PROPERTY? LET'S WORK TOGETHER.
LET'S ESTABLISH A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR.
IF YOUR EXTERIOR DOORS ARE, OR THE CULPRITS ARE DOING THIS AT A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, IT'S OUR JOB AT FIELD OPERATIONS TO ADJUST PERSONNEL ACCORDINGLY AND APPREHEND THESE PEOPLE.
AND FURTHERMORE, WHAT I WOULD ASK, AND THIS IS WHAT THE PROBLEM WE'VE RAN INTO SOME OTHER APARTMENT COMPLEXES, IS IF APPREHENDED AND THEY'RE YOUR TENANTS, RIGHT? WE NEED TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF CORRECTIVE ACTION THERE, BUT THE, UH, YOUR PROPERTY BEING DAMAGED, WILLFULLY BEING DAMAGED BY ANOTHER, THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK ON WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, HAPPY TO, UH, MY COHORTS HERE ARE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU, ESTABLISH A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR, FIGURE OUT WHO'S DOING IT, AND LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST GET 'EM CAUGHT.
AND WE ALSO, IF IT'S A, AND I I ALSO PREFACE WITH THERE ARE TIMES WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST HUMAN LAZINESS.
SOMETIMES JUST PEOPLE DON'T WANNA WALK AROUND, YOU KNOW? AGREED.
AND THAT'S, AND AGAIN, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT JUST SOLELY CRIMINAL AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH Y'ALL AND ESTABLISH, OKAY, PEOPLE ARE JUST NATURALLY BEING LAZY, LET'S FIGURE OUT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO COME OUT SOME IN IN WHAT WAY DO YOU MEAN BEING LAZY? OH, RA PRIME EXAMPLE.
A BOARD ON A FENCE RATHER THAN THE KIDS WALK AROUND, THEY JUST KICK THE BOARD IN THE FENCE.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE MIGHT NEED TO WORK ON.
YOUR SCENARIOS NOT, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOORS AND WHEN WE SAY GETTING BROKEN IN OR BECAUSE I, SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION.
AND THEN VAGRANTS ARE GETTING INSIDE THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SAID BREAKING? UH, WELL, ONE WAS TO LIVE IN OUR BUILDING MM-HMM
BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO SWIMMING IN OUR POOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEY WERE, THEY WERE GETTING IN TO LIVE THERE.
UH, BUT ALSO THEY WOULD BREAK INTO THE STORAGE UNITS AND THEY WOULD BREAK INTO SOME OF THE APARTMENTS AND, AND, AND JUST OUTTA CUR, AND AGAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DISCUSS SPECIFICS, WAS IT TO GO AND DEPRIVE YOU OF SOMETHING? TAKE IT? OR WAS IT JUST TO, YOU KNOW, WAS IT MORE OF A VAGRANCY ISSUE, GET OUTTA THE HEAT? OR IS IT KIDS JUST, AND AGAIN, IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS CHILDREN.
EVERY TIME THAT, THE PHOTOS THAT I HAVE, THEY'RE ALL ADULTS.
UHHUH,
THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE WHERE IN THE, IN AGAIN, THE CITY VIEW ROOM THAT WE HAVE OR HAD, I DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE.
THEY, HI, A BACKPACK FULL OF SOME KIND OF STUFF AND SOME STOLEN GOODS.
IN ONE OF THOSE, UH, CABINETS IN THAT ROOM.
AND THEN LIKE TWO OR THREE HOURS LATER, HE CAME BACK AND IT HAD BEEN TAKEN AND HE, HE CAME AND KICKED THE DOOR IN, IN THE LEASING OFFICE AND CORRECT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK ON WITH, WITH Y'ALL.
WE'RE GONNA PAIR UP AND WORK WITH YOU.
THIS ORDINANCE, THOUGH, IS DESIGNED IF WE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WANT TO WORK WITH HIM, AND HE TAKES NO PROACTIVE EFFORT.
WE'VE TOLD YOU THESE DOORS ARE GETTING BROKEN IN.
WE'VE TOLD YOU WE HAVE STOLEN MATERIALS, WE'VE TOLD YOU WE HAVE AN ISSUE GOING ON.
AND HE TAKES NO PROACTIVE COOPERATIVE EFFORT.
THAT'S WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS FOR.
BUT YEAH, JUST, UH, AGAIN, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE HAPPENING.
BUT YES, WE'LL GET WITH YOU AFTERWARDS AND WORK ON THAT.
THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS ORDINANCE IS INTENDING TO DO PE REALLY WORK WITH THESE OWNERS TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE GETTING DONE.
AND IF THEY DON'T GET DONE, YOU'RE ON A LIST, YOU'RE ON THE NAUGHTY LIST, AND, AND YOU, YOU KNOW, AS AN APARTMENT OWNER, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA WANNA COME OFF THAT LIST.
IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO RENT IN YOUR APARTMENT BUILDING.
SOMEBODY ELSE WANNA COME AND TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AT YOUR APARTMENT, JUST STATE YOUR NAME MAYBE AND YOUR ZIP CODE WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, MY NAME IS FELICIA NELSON.
UH, I HAVE LIVED AT THREE DIFFERENT APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UM, MY EXPERIENCE WITH BEDBUG INFESTATION, UM, MOLD, ME AND MY GRANDKIDS, WE JUST MOVED OUT OF ZIP CODE 7 7 0 2 2 FULL OF MOLD, FULL OF BEDBUGS INSPECTION, UH, INFESTATION.
UM, NOW I HAVE PNEUMONIA IN MY LUNGS.
BEFORE THE MOLD, I HAVE ASKED THE, THE COMPLEX TO COME OUT.
THE OWNER SAID THAT, UM, SHE WOULD SEND SOMEBODY OUT.
SO YOU CALLED YOUR PROPERTY MANAGER FIRST? YES.
DID YOU EVER INVOLVE THE CITY? YES.
THE CITY WAS, UH, SUPPOSED TO COME OUT.
UH, THE, THE MANAGER TOLD THEM THAT I HAD MOVED OUT THE HO THE APARTMENT WAS FULL OF MOLD, SO WE COULD NOT
[00:35:01]
STAY IN THAT UNIT.DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY FROM HEALTH IN HERE RIGHT NOW? COME ON UP.
UM, WE DO DO PEST CONTROL INSPECTIONS.
IT WAS FULL OF BEDBUGS WHEN I FIRST MOVED IN THERE.
AND SO BASICALLY YOUR PROPERTY MANAGER DIDN'T GET ANYBODY OUT THERE TO, TO LOOK AT IT? NO.
SHE TOLD ME I BROUGHT THE BEDBUGS.
UM, SO YES, WE DO PEST INFESTATION.
IF THERE IS A COMPLAINT, WE GO, UM, ONE OF THE INVESTIGATORS WILL GO OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY SEE ANY TYPE OF PEST, THEY WILL LET THE MANAGEMENT KNOW, HEY, YOU NEED TO GET PEST CONTROL DONE.
UM, FOR BEDBUGS, THAT'S A TRICKY, UM, QUESTION BECAUSE SOMETIMES IN THE LEASE, UM, THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAVE TO SIGN A LEASE AND TO SAY IF YOU, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH BEDBUGS.
SO THEY MIGHT TELL YOU, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, PAY FOR YOURSELF.
BUT USUALLY, UM, INVESTIGATORS, OKAY, EXCUSE ME, PAY FOR IT MYSELF.
BUT THE BEDBUGS WAS THERE BEFORE I GOT THERE.
UH, THE PREVIOUS TENANT HAD THE BEDBUGS, NOT ME.
SO WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR SOMEBODY ELSE'S INFESTATION? IT DEPENDS ON THE LEASE CONTRACT.
UM, BUT USUALLY WHEN WE GO OUT THERE, UM, THE MANAGEMENT WOULD DO DO AS A COURTESY TO DO A BED BUS TREATMENT BECAUSE A BED BUS TREATMENT IS VERY EXPENSIVE INSTEAD OF LIKE A PEST CONTROL WHEN THEY COME OUT, WHEN YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SERVICE EVERY WEEKLY OR BIWEEKLY, IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SERVICE.
SOMETIMES WE, UM, COME ACROSS DEALING WITH.
AND ALSO MODE, WE DO NOT TEST FOR MOLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE LET THE TENANTS KNOW, LIKE WE DO NOT TEST FOR MOLD, BUT WE WILL CHECK FOR WATER INTRUSION LEAKS OR CRACKS.
AND WHEN THE INVESTIGATORS WILL, IF THEY SEE ANY FINDINGS, THEY USE THEIR FLARE CAMERAS TO CHECK ANY MOISTURE.
SO THEY WILL LET THE MANAGEMENT KNOW THEY NEED TO FIX THIS ISSUE, THE SHEET ROCK, IF THEY DO NOT FIX IT, UM, IF THEY'RE NOT COMPLIED, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ISSUE A CITATION.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
CALL 3 1 1 AND WE'LL HAVE INVESTIGATOR SENT OUT THERE.
BUT THE ISSUE WAS IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE, IN THE UNIT AND THE INVESTIGATOR DOES GO OUT THERE, YOU'RE NOT THERE, UM, THERE'S, WE CAN'T REALLY GO INSIDE THE UNIT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE.
ALSO, YOU HAVE TO BE THE LEASE HOLDER.
SO A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DO CALL IN THREE ONE ONE, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT THE LEASE HOLDER, THE INVESTIGATOR CANNOT DO A, UM, INVESTIGATION.
SO BASICALLY YOU'RE SAYING Y'ALL DON'T DEAL WITH OUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND NEITHER DOES THE APARTMENTS BECAUSE THIS, THIS HAS HAPPENED.
UH, I MEAN, DUE TO THE MOLDS THERE, I MEAN, IT WAS MOLD AND I'M ON HOUSING.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN, THEY SAW THE MOLD.
THEY SAW THE MOLD BEFORE THEY INSPECTED IT.
AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS WHY WE'RE ALL HERE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE HAVING SITUATIONS WHERE YOU'RE NOT GETTING SATISFIED BY WHATEVER YOUR APARTMENT OWNER OR PROPERTY MANAGER IS, IS DOING.
SO THE CITY DOES NEED TO GET INVOLVED.
IT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME THAT WE DON'T DO, DO MOLD INSPECTIONS.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY CITY WE'VE LOOKED INTO IT, IT'S, BUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF HE FINDS LEAKAGE AND WATER, THERE'S, THERE'S PROBABLY MOLD.
SO THAT CAN GET CITED IF THAT DOESN'T GET FIXED.
SO WE WANT, WE'RE MAKING THIS ORDINANCE.
SO IF, BASICALLY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE LUCK WITH YOUR PROPERTY, WHERE YOU'RE, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CALL 3 1 1 WITH THESE PROBLEMS ANYWAY.
YOU CALL YOUR PROPERTY MANAGER TOO, BUT CALL, CALL 3 1 1.
SO IT STARTS GETTING IN THE CITY RECORD.
THEN WE GET HEALTH TO GO OUT THERE.
THEN IF THEY FIND ISSUE OF LEAKAGE AND WATER, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA CREATE SOME MOLD OR THEY, OR THERE'S A PEST PROBLEM OR BEDBUGS OR WHATEVER IT IS, THEY'RE GOING TO TALK TO THE OWNER, THEY'RE GONNA TALK, WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THE, THE BUILDING OWNER TO GET THAT RECTIFIED.
AND IF IT'S NOT, WE'RE GONNA ISSUE CITATIONS.
AND ONCE YOU GET A CER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CITATIONS, I THINK IT'S 10 AND SIX MONTHS YOU'RE GOING ON AND, AND WE, WE COME TO TELL YOU TO RECTIFY THIS STUFF.
IF YOU DON'T, YOU'RE GOING ON THIS LIST.
AND WE'RE JUST GONNA BE A LOT MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT DEALING WITH THIS.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE IS SO IMPORTANT.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.
I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING, UM, THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE HELP YOU NEED.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO HOLD APARTMENT OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING REALLY QUICKLY, MA'AM? I'M SORRY.
UM, I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SUGGESTION OR THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
UH, WHAT TYPE OF ACTIONS WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED THE PROPERTY TO TAKE TO SUPPORT YOU IN, IN YOUR HEALTHY LIVING? WHAT THINGS DO YOU THINK THAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE THAT MAYBE WE CAN ALSO SUGGEST THAT IS ACTIONS THAT PROPERTIES TAKE
[00:40:01]
TO BE ABLE TO MOVE YOU OR SUPPORT YOU IN WAYS THAT YOU'RE NOT FORCED TO LIVE IN THAT UNIT? FIRST OF ALL, I PAY MY RENT.AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE WITH BED BUGS OR MOLD WHEN I PAY MY RENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST ACTION.
I HAVE TWO LITTLE GIRLS THAT WE ALL ASTHMA, WE CAN'T BREATHE THAT STUFF.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO, TO SUPPORT YOU TO NOT LIVE IN THAT? WOULD IT BE, UM, WELL, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE IDEAS OF, OF WHAT THE PROPERTY COULD HAVE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT LIVING IN THAT UNIT? FIRST OF ALL, SHE SHOULD HAVE CAME TO ME AND TOLD ME, OKAY, WE ARE, WE ARE GONNA SEND SOMEBODY OUT.
SHE TOLD ME ABOUT THE BEDBUGS THAT I BROUGHT THE BEDBUGS THERE.
MY, THE PREVIOUS TENANT THAT LIVED THERE.
EVEN MY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME THAT THAT'S WHY THEY MOVED OUT.
AND NOW EVERYBODY IN THAT BUILDING HAS MOLD.
SO IN, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY THAT YOU SAID YOU'VE ALREADY LEFT, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GOT WHAT YOU NEEDED? I LOVE TO LIVE IN A PROPERTY.
AND I WANTED TO SEE THEM COME FIX IT AND, AND DO WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
UM, AND, BUT WHILE THEY'RE FIXING IT, LIKE, AND, AND LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ALCORN IS SUGGESTING RIGHT NOW, MAYBE IT'S MOVING YOU TO A DIFFERENT UNIT OR IS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD SUGGEST THAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE INSTEAD? MOVE ME INTO ANOTHER UNIT? IS IS AN INFESTATION IN THE WHOLE COMPLEX MM-HMM
WOULD MAYBE JUST BREAKING YOUR LEASE.
AND, UH, LIKE I SAID, HOUSING TAUGHT ME.
THEY GAVE ME A VOUCHER TO MOVE MM-HMM
AND SO YOU'RE ON A VOUCHER IS WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW.
SO MAYBE THERE'S THAT ADDITIONAL, UM, ENFORCEMENT THAT THE HOUSING, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT COULD, COULD SUPPORT IN THAT WAY.
SO, SO YOU'RE IN A BETTER SPACE NOW.
I WAS GONNA HAVE YOU GO RIGHT OVER HERE, THERE TO HIM AND TALK TO HIM.
BUT WE STILL MIGHT WANNA CHECK THAT OUT.
AND HOPEFULLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS, IS GONNA HELP ANYBODY ELSE.
HELLO? HI, I'M ELAINE JOHNSON AND I'M IN ZIP CODE 7 7 0 9 3.
MY PROBLEM IS THE HURRICANE THAT HIT BEFORE BUR, UH, IN MAY, THE DERECHO CAME THROUGH OUR COMPLEX AND BLEW OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WINDOWS.
SO THE FIRST THING I DID WAS I REACHED OUT TO MY LANDLORD AND MY LANDLORD SAID HE WOULD GET SOMEONE OVER THERE TOMORROW, BUT TOMORROW NEVER CAME.
HE TOLD ME, GET SOMEONE HE DOESN'T HAVE, UH, WE NEED EMERGENCY STAFFING AT COMPLEXES WHEN THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
UH, THAT SHOULDN'T BE THE ATTENDANCE, UH, RESPONSIBILITY.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIGURE OUT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY IN HOUSTON.
I HAD TO GET SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY TO GO GET BOARDS WITH NO WINDOWS.
SO I ENDED UP CALLING 3 1 1 AND HAD TO GET AN INSPECTOR TO COME OUT TO GET THAT DONE.
AND WAS THAT DONE PRETTY QUICKLY? IT WAS DONE GOOD.
ALL THE STRUCTURAL OUTSIDE KIND OF STUFF IN YOUR APARTMENT, UM, SHOULD BE HANDLED BY OUR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS.
SO, SO THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED WAS LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE FREEZE, MY HOT WATER HEATER BURST AND WATER WAS EVERYWHERE.
NO EMERGENCY CREW, NOBODY CAME.
OH, I GOTTA SEE IF I CAN GET SOMEBODY.
I, AT THAT TIME, I DIDN'T CALL 3 1 1.
I THINK MAYBE THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT WE, THREE ONE WE NEED TO DO GOING FORWARD.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THE ASSISTANCE OR THE HELP THAT WE NEED FOR THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE ENCOUNTERING SO THAT WE WILL BE PROACTIVE AND DO THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THE HELP THAT WE NEED.
'CAUSE IF WE PAY OUR RENT, DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, WE NEED OUR LANDLORDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN A SAFE PLACE.
AND I COULDN'T LEAVE MY HOUSE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE NO SECURITY.
SO I HAD TO GET SOMEONE TO PUT THE BOARDS UP AND I STAYED THERE FOR SIX MONTHS LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE NO LIGHTS IN THE COMPLEX.
AND YET YOU MADE A VERY IMPORTANT POINT.
THE CALL AT THREE ONE ONE, GETTING THE CITY INVOLVED AT THE VERY, UH, AT THE VERY BEGINNING WILL REALLY, REALLY HELP.
BECAUSE, WELL, I WAS GRATEFUL TO HAVE, I THINK, UH, OFFICER LUNA THAT STAYED ON THAT AND HELPED ME WITH THAT BECAUSE HE MADE SURE THAT EVERYTHING GOT DONE.
[00:45:01]
SEE, AND THEN HE CAME BACK OUT THERE AND HE TOOK PICTURES AND STUFF.YOU KNOW, CALL THREE ONE ONE AND THEN CALL YOUR, YOU'LL GET A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER AND THEN CALL YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU HAVE SIX, YOU HAVE FIVE AT LARGE.
AND YOU HAVE YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU GET SIX PEOPLE YELLING AT A DEPARTMENT TO GO CHECK SOMETHING OUT.
THERE'S A, A BETTER CHANCE IT'LL GET CHECKED OUT.
ANYONE ELSE WANNA SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE? SURE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR OPENING THIS SPACE.
MY EXPERIENCE, I RECENTLY MOVED TO HOUSTON, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WHERE I LIVE HAS HAD NO SMOKE DETECTORS OR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IN THE FOUR LAUNDRY ROOMS. GET THAT ADDRESS CHIEF GALVAN FOR OVER FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
CHIEF GAL'S GONNA GET SOMEBODY OVER THERE ASAP.
UH, THE UNIT WHERE I LIVE HAS HAD MULTIPLE WATER LEAKS THAT I HAVE REPORTED EVERYTHING I REPORTED PROPERLY TO THE MANAGEMENT.
THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING, OR THEY HAVE TAKEN A VERY LONG TIME IN SOLVING THIS SITUATION.
SO THE LATEST WAS FEBRUARY 14TH.
MY VALENTINE'S WAS WITH A WATER LEAK THAT WAS NOT SOLD FOR OVER 96 HOURS.
WHICH LED TO MOLD IN THE BATHROOM.
ALL THE JOINTS ARE TOTALLY FULL WITH MOLD AND MOLD IN THE MASTER BEDROOM CLOSET.
THE MOLD HAS GROWN SO MUCH THAT THE AIR LITERALLY CANNOT BE BREATHED.
ALL MY CLOTHES, MY SHOES, MY SUITCASES, MY PURSES ARE CONTAMINATED.
AND THE, AND IT TOOK 90, OVER 96 HOURS FOR THEM TO FIX.
AGAIN, DID YOU INVOLVE THE CITY IN ANY, AT ANY POINT? YES, IN TIME.
SO, UM, THE MALL SITUATION WAS, SO THE SMELL HAS BEEN SO STRONG THAT IT HAD TO LOCK THE CLOSET.
I COULD NOT USE IT SINCE FEBRUARY 16TH.
AND AGAIN, I REPORTED TO THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT MULTIPLE TIMES, DIFFERENT WAYS.
NOT ONLY THAT THE UNIT HAS HAD RODENT INFESTATION SINCE JANUARY 20, 25.
THEY DID NOT EVEN SEND PEST CONTROL AS REQUIRED.
EVERY SINGLE WEEK I WAS IN THEIR OFFICE ASKING THEM TO SEND PEST CONTROL.
I HAD TO BECOME A MAINTENANCE CHASER.
BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT FIX THE THINGS.
SO THIS RODENT SITUATION ESCALATED.
THERE WERE HOLES WHERE THE RODENTS WILL GET INTO THE UNIT THAT I REPORTED FIRST TO MANAGEMENT, THEN TO 3 1 1 3, 1 1 SENT.
OH, I FORGOT ABOUT THE, UM, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.
UH, WHEN I CALLED 3 1 1 IN OCTOBER, THEY SENT SOMEONE AND THE VIOLATIONS, THE FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS ARE REPORTED IN A 3 1 1 REPORT.
HOWEVER, NO CITATION, NO OTHER FOLLOW UP.
SO I CALLED 3 1 1 AGAIN IN NOVEMBER.
THEY WENT AND INVESTIGATOR CARDENA WENT.
HE, I HAVE ALL THIS DOCUMENTED.
HE DID NOT DOCUMENT IN HIS REPORT WHAT HE SAW.
LITERALLY ONE OF THE LAUNDRY ROOM'S.
CEILING WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED.
NOT ONE SINGLE WORD ABOUT THIS IN HIS REPORT.
NOT A WORD ABOUT THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND THE LACK OF SMOKE DETECTORS.
AGAIN, FOUR LAUNDRY ROOMS. I HAVE ALL THESE DOCUMENTED.
3 1 1 KEEPS CLOSING MY REPORTS.
AND, AND THAT, THAT SOMETIMES IS WHEN 3 1 1 SENDS IT TO A DEPARTMENT, THEY KIND OF CLOSE IT.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS CLOSED IT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST WE NEED TO GET WITH YOU WITH HEALTH AND WITH FIRE SO THEY CAN COME OUT THERE AGAIN.
BUT THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS YOU ALL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE ON, ON, ON MANAGEMENT AND OWNERS THAT ARE NOT,
[00:50:01]
DO NOT HAVE A PLAN TO FIX THINGS.NOW WE KNOW THINGS CAN'T BE FIXED OVERNIGHT, BUT, BUT THEY NEED TO HAVE A PLAN TO FIX THINGS, TO HAVE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO BE IN A LIVABLE, SAFE APARTMENT BUILDING.
SO THAT'S, YOUR INFORMATION IS REALLY HELPFUL TO US.
I DO WANT YOU TO GET WITH HEALTH AND FIRE MM-HMM
UM, SO THEY CAN CHECK OUT YOUR, YOUR SITUATION.
AND, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR REPORTING ALL THAT.
SHE'S GOING TO ASK YOU CAN YES.
SO THE RODENT SITUATION CONTINUED ESCALATING.
TWO INVESTIGATORS WENT, NONE OF THEM REPORTED WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT I HAVE DOCUMENTED.
AND THE SECOND INVESTIGATOR, I TOLD HIM, THERE IS AN ACTIVE RODENT ENTRANCE IN THE SECOND BEDROOM.
HE DID GO BY THE WAY, THE FIRST TIME HE WENT, HE DID NOT EVEN ASK ME PERMISSION TO GET IN.
AND HE ALLOWED THE MANAGEMENT TO RECORD A VIDEO, WHICH IS AN A DA VIOLATION.
I AM IN THE NARROW, UH, DIVERSITY SPECTRUM AND IT'S ALSO A PRIVACY VIOLATION.
AND AGAIN, THEY DID NOT RECOMMEND WHAT HAPPENED.
THEY DID NOT SOLVE THE RODENTS ENTRANCES.
AND ON FEBRUARY 28TH, I WOKE UP COVERED IN RODENT THESIS.
SO OF COURSE I HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE.
I TALKED TO MANAGEMENT, I TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE I HAD REPORTED THEM TO 3 1 1, THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING.
AND BECAUSE I OPENED A LEGAL CASE TO DEFEND MY LIFE, THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING.
YOU'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT REPORTING AND THE CASE BEING CLOSED.
WHAT AND WHERE WOULD THAT INFORMATION BE HELPFUL TO YOU AND TO ALL TENANTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS? LIKE, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A SUGGESTION OF MAYBE HAVING A DATABASE ONLINE OR AN INTERACTIVE PORTAL OR SOMETHING.
DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION SHOULD BE REPORTED AND HOW IT SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT AND AVAILABLE FOR TENANTS? YES.
I THINK THAT THE, UH, 3 1 1 APPLICATION IS NOT AS EASY TO USE AS IT COULD BE.
I, I HAPPEN TO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN SILVER DEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK ALSO THAT THE PHONE, WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE AND I HAVE CALLED MORE, MORE THAN 10 TIMES.
SO I HAVE A LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN THAT IS NOT AS HELPFUL AS IT COULD BE.
AND SO THERE ARE, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE.
SO I HAVE REPORTED FIRST TO THE PROPERTY MULTIPLE TIMES, SECOND TO THEIR ATTORNEYS, THREE TO 3, 1 1 MULTIPLE TIMES FOUR TO DISTRICT K OFFICE.
AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE INVITATION THAT I RECEIVED, THANKS TO THEM, TO THIS UM, MEETING, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT LEAVING ONE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE INVITED FOR TODAY.
AND, AND, AND ANOTHER QUESTION IS, DO YOU, DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE KIND OF BEING RETALIATED? HAS ANYBODY FELT LIKE IF THEY DO A LOT OF REPORTING THAT THE OWNERS OR MANAGERS WILL RETALIATE AGAINST? IT'S BEEN RETALIATION.
WE HEAR THAT AND EVEN TOLD ME.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO THROUGH ONE, ONE OF THE PROPERTY MANAGER ASSISTANT MANAGER LITERALLY TOLD ME THAT WE HAD, WE HAD REACHED AN AGREEMENT WHERE I WILL MOVE TO ANOTHER UNIT THAT IS VERMIN FREE.
AND AFTER I REPORTED THEM TO THE CITY, THE ASSISTANT PROPERTY MANAGER TOLD ME, YOU'RE NOT MOVING TO ANOTHER UNIT HERE.
BECAUSE YOU REPORTED US TO THE CITY.
THAT'S, AND THEN, AND THEN THE PROPERTY MANAGER TOLD ME, WE'RE NOT FIXING THE ROAD SITUATION BECAUSE WE'RE IN A LEGAL SITUATION NOW.
I THINK WE HAD ANOTHER, UM, ANOTHER PERSON WHO WANTED TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM.
I LIVE A PROUD RESIDENT OF SECOND WARD.
UM, LIFELONG HOUSTON RESIDENT.
SO I CURRENTLY LIVE IN A PROPERTY THAT HAS, UM, A PROFOUND RODENT, UH, INFESTATION.
THEY'VE CHEWED MULTIPLE HOLES THROUGH THE WALLS.
IT'S A SIX UNIT, UM, LIKE FOURPLEX, LIKE OLD SCHOOL MONTROSE STYLE.
UM, I REPORTED IT FOR TWO YEARS WHEN I FOUND A MOUSE THAT HAD CHEWED HALFWAY THROUGH THE WALL, GOT STUCK AND DIED.
UM, MY CAT KILLS A LOT OF MICE.
THE OTHER DAY I CAME HOME AND STEPPED ON ONE AND KILLED IT.
THAT'S HOW, AND YOU REPORTED IT TO YOUR PROPERTY MANAGER? I, YES.
UM, I REPORTED THIS TO THEM IN JULY WHEN THEY TOOK OVER.
WE HAD A PREVIOUS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO NAME LATER BECAUSE THEY'RE A KNOWN SLUMLORD, UM, IN THIS CITY.
AND THEY SEEM MORE ON THE UP AND UP.
BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF ISSUES TRANSFERRING THE INFORMATION FROM THE OLD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY BECAUSE THE
[00:55:01]
OWNER, UM, BASICALLY HAS BEEN COMATOSE FOR LIKE THREE YEARS.SO THERE'S HARD FOR THEM TO HAVE THE ONE REMAINING EMPLOYEE TRANSFER ALL THE INFORMATION OVER.
SO HE SAID, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE HAVING HANDLING OUR BUILDING, UM, SAID IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO GET EVERYTHING MOVED OVER THIS, YOU KNOW, OWNER HAS A LOT OF PROPERTIES, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET HIS FILE SET UP, BUT WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.
THAT WAS JULY IN OCTOBER, I THINK IS WHEN I STEPPED ON THE RODENT
AND SO I SENT IN A REQUEST AND SAID, HEY, I'VE PREVIOUSLY TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS, THIS BUILDING IS COMPROMISED.
UM, THERE'S BEEN PREVIOUS REPAIRS IN MY APARTMENT WHERE THEY CUT HOLES IN THE WALL TO ADDRESS PLUMBING.
ALL OF THE INSULATION IS GONE.
YOU CAN HEAR 'EM SCRATCHING IN THE WALLS.
I HAVE VIDEO OF THEM CLIMBING UP MY CURTAINS.
LIKE I FIND DISMEMBERED MICE OUTSIDE.
'CAUSE THE FERAL CATS TEAR 'EM UP.
I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF ALL OF THAT.
SO I, I DID THAT AND THEY SAID WE'RE GETTING WITH SOMEONE, IT TOOK 'EM ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO TO CONTACT AN EXTERMINATOR.
AND I'M CONSTANTLY ASKING THEM, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO GET RID OF THEM, BUT WE NEED REMEDIATION BECAUSE WHEN WATER LEAKS, YOU KNOW, IT'S OLD.
IT'S AN OLD POORLY MAINTAINED BUILDING FULL OF LANDLORDS SPECIAL PAINT AND PLUMBING.
THE WATER COMES OUT BLACK BECAUSE THE WALLS ARE SO CONTAMINATED BY RODENT DETRITUS AND FEET AND LIKE FECES.
EVERYTHING I OWN IS CONTAMINATED.
LIKE, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ANYTHING WITH ME WHEN I LEAVE.
AND THEREFORE I CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE EVERYTHING IN MY HOUSEHOLD.
AND NEED YOU ALSO TO GET WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR SURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE PEOPLE ARE LEARNING.
YOU KNOW, WE, THE, IF THE, IF THE OWNER OR MANAGER'S NOT DEALING WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, 3 1 1, WE CAN GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE LIFE SAFETY ISSUES.
UM, AND THE CITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY THERE.
SO USE, UM, SO, UH, I DID CONTACT THEM AGAIN LAST WEEK BECAUSE SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENED WITH A MOUSE, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, BUT I WAS LIKE, IT'S BEEN OVER A HUNDRED DAYS SINCE I CONTACTED YOU.
WE NEED, UH, REMOVAL AND WE NEED REMEDIATION AND I NEED YOU TO TELL ME WHEN IT'S HAPPENING.
SO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE'LL COME, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEONE COME NEXT WEEK AND WE'RE GONNA DO A WALKTHROUGH.
I'M LIKE, YOU NEED TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THIS BUILDING.
UM, SO I'M GONNA CALL ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD THEIR OPPORTUNITY.
ANYTHING INSIDE LIKE THAT IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN AGAIN, IF WE'RE ISSUING CITATIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING PEST CONTROL OUT THERE, THEY ARE GONNA, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS IN THIS ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL BE ON THIS HIGH RISK LIST AND WE'LL BE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY REMEDIATE AND YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THE BAD ACTORS ARE GONNA COME RIGHT TO THE TOP OF THIS LIST AND WE'RE GONNA REALLY BE WORKING WITH THEM.
AND I GUESS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET HERE IS WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE THIS CITY ORDINANCE DO FOR, FOR, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT US TO MAKE PEOPLE FIX STUFF IN A, IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT HOW COULD THIS ALL, HOW, HOW COULD WHAT YOU, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED HELP, UH, INFORM WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE? UM, SO I'M ALSO A UNION SHOP STEWARD AT IH SO I'M LIKE EDUCATING MYSELF AND EDUCATING MY COWORKERS ABOUT OUR RIGHTS.
UM, I THINK A, A MASSIVE CAMPAIGN.
LIKE I KNOW THAT THE CITY CAN TAKE OUT BILLBOARDS.
DO YOU LIVE WITH ROACHES AND RATS? YEAH.
LIKE WE CAN'T ALL COUNT ON GRIZZLY HOOD NEWS TO LIKE DO THIS FOR US.
SO, AND WE ONLY GO LIKE, YOU HEARD HIM SAY, WE REALLY ONLY, OUR HABITABILITY ORDINANCE IS JUST THE ONLY PROACTIVE THING WE DO IS HAVE PUBLIC WORKS, GO AND LOOK AT STRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT OUTSIDE, WE LOOK TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE ALL FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S, IT IS REACTIVE, YOU KNOW, TO GO TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING INSIDE YOU HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HAS TO BE THERE, LET YOU IN THE WHOLE THING.
SO IT'S HARDER, BUT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN CALL 3 1 1 AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I THINK EDUCATION WOULD GO WAY SO BETTER, A LONG WAY EDUCATION BETTER, BETTER PROMOTION OF ESPECIALLY BE YEAH.
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF YOUR RIGHTS AND WHAT YOU, WHO YOU CAN CALL AND ALL OF THAT.
AND ESPECIALLY IN A HOT, HUMID ENVIRONMENT.
LIKE THERE'S NO COLD ENVIRONMENT.
THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
UM, WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE ALL OF THAT A LOT BETTER.
AND THEN THERE'S A COUPLE JUST OFF THE SIDE, NOT RELATED TO MY, WELL, KIND OF MY SPECIFIC, MY OWNER, MY PROPERTY OWNER IS AN OUT-OF-STATE INDIVIDUAL.
I FOUND HIS HOUSE, IT'S AN $8 MILLION HOUSE.
AND WE LIVE IN SQUALOR, LIKE ABSOLUTE SQUALOR.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S LIKE, SINCE HE LIVES IN UTAH, HE HAS A SHELL COMPANY, WHICH OWNS OUR BUILDING.
SO I HAVE TO, BECAUSE I WORK ODD HOURS, I'M ALWAYS HOME NINE TO FIVE.
I'M THE ONE ANSWERING FROM, YOU KNOW, HIS INSPECTORS, HIS INSURANCE, THEY'RE COMING TO ME, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACH HIM, RIGHT? THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
THEY'RE SENDING NOTICES TO AN BASICALLY A POST OFFICE MAILBOX.
WE'RE LOOKING INTO ALL THAT BECAUSE AT THE LAST
[01:00:01]
MEETING IN ALE, I SAT IN THE OWNER'S AND MANAGER'S ROOM AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OFTEN GETTING THIS, THE PROPERTY MANAGER'S GETTING THE CITATION WHEN IT'S REALLY, THEY'VE BEEN BEGGING THE OWNER TO FIX STUFF, BUT THE OWNER SOMEWHERE, OFTEN ANOTHER PLACE AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.SO WE'RE LOOKING IN WITH LEGAL WHAT, HOW WE CAN GET INFORMATION ON THE OWNERS.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE A CITATION GIVEN THAT THAT OWNER IS NOTIFIED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, 'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IT'S AN LLC AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHO'S WHO AND WHAT'S WHAT.
I'LL GIVE YOU HIS INSTAGRAM, LIKE, YEAH.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS MY LAST THING, BECAUSE I'VE DEALT WITH THIS MULTIPLE PROPERTY.
I MEAN, I LIVED IN MONTROSE FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THEY'RE, UM, THE ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY IS JAMES D. OWENS AND ASSOCIATES IN THE HEIGHTS.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO OPERATING WITH, I THINK, EXPIRED OR FRAUDULENT REAL ESTATE LICENSES.
UM, THEY WERE DIVERTING TENANT FUNDS TO THEIR OWN PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNTS.
THEY WERE LYING TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT, UM, MR. OWENS.
LIKE HE WILL NEVER WAKE UP AGAIN.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS ORDINANCE, ALL OF THE, THE KIND OF REPEAT VIOLATORS AND PEOPLE THAT GET REPEATED CITATIONS AND ARE NOT FIXING THINGS ACCORDING TO A PLAN THAT WE AGREE TO, YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE REPERCUSSIONS.
MY LAST THING IS, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN A PROPERTY, YOU DON'T DESERVE THE PRIVILEGE TO OWN A PROPERTY.
AND IF YOU CAN'T OPERATE A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY IN GOOD FAITH AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
AND YOU PROBABLY NEED TO BE PUT SOMEWHERE IN JAIL AND NEVER, LIKE, CIVIL IS CUTE AND, BUT RICH PEOPLE HAVE MONEY.
THEY NEED CRIMINAL REPERCUSSIONS.
THESE BEEP BEEPS NEED TO FACE REAL TIME.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE WALKING THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE KILLING PEOPLE.
THEY'RE DISABLING PEOPLE WITH MOLD.
YOU COULD GET H VIRUS AND DIE LIKE THAT RICH ACTOR, WHAT WAS HIS NAME? HE DIED.
THAT MAN IS SO RICH, SO FAMOUS, AND HE DIED BECAUSE THERE WAS A MOUSE INFESTATION IN HIS HOUSE.
WHAT IF THEY KILL YOU? WHO'S GONNA COME AND FIX YOUR LIFE? THEY'RE GONNA PAY YOUR LIFE INSURANCE.
THEY'RE GONNA PAY FOR YOUR FUNERAL.
THEY'RE GONNA MAYBE CLEAN UP THE APARTMENT A LITTLE BIT AND TO THINK, UM, AND RENT IT TO SOMEONE.
UM, THAT PARTICULAR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD OVER HERE, WE HEARD HERE LIKE, IT'S NOT JUST ONE UNIT, IT'S NOT JUST MY UNIT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE FIRST HEARING WHEN THE ORDINANCE CAME UP IN MAY OF LAST YEAR WAS, UM, THE CITY DOESN'T WANT TO SHUT DOWN A PROPERTY AND THEN HAVE A HUNDRED OR 300 HOUSEHOLDS NOW HAVE NOWHERE TO LIVE IMMEDIATELY.
DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION OF WHAT COULD BE DONE INSTEAD OF ENTIRELY SHUTTING DOWN A PROPERTY? OR HOW, IF IT COMES TO THAT, WHAT, WHAT RECOURSES COULD BE OFFERED TO TENANTS? MAN, THAT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE, UM, WE LIVE IN A STATE WHERE BUSINESS TRUMPS HUMAN LIFE.
AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT TO RUN OR OPERATE OR ADMINISTRATE A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS BEFORE I GOT UP 'CAUSE I'M LIKE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA ASK ME SOMETHING.
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER COMPANY THAT WILL BE SOMEONE ELSE WHO WANTS THAT PROPERTY.
THIS IS LIKE THE NEW INFLUENCER THING.
THIS IS THE NEW, UM, RICH EXPLOITATIVE THING THAT THEY'RE REALLY INTO.
IT'S LIKE SOMEONE WILL BUY THAT PROPERTY AND THAT PERSON, YOU KNOW, THAT COMPANY CAN BE, IF THEY'RE A KNOWN COMPANY, THEY CAN BE VETTED AND SAY LIKE, HEY, YOU GUYS HAVE NEVER HAD VIOLATIONS OR THE VIOLATIONS YOU HAVE ARE MINOR AND THEY WERE REMEDIATED IMMEDIATELY.
YOU PROVIDED IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO YOUR TENANTS.
YOU'RE A GOOD PROPERTY MANAGER, YOU'RE A GOOD LANDLORD.
LIKE, YOU CAN'T JUST SHUT IT DOWN AND KICK PEOPLE OUT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD RENT.
IN HOUSTON, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED, IT IS THE MOST IMPOVERISHED MAJOR CITY IN HOUSTON.
ONE IN SIX OF US IS LIVING IN POVERTY.
WE GOTTA ENDURE AND, UM, HOPEFULLY JOIN A UNION THAT'LL HELP.
UM, UM, YEAH, I THINK FORCED SALE, FORCED SALE AND FORCED DISSOLUTION OF THEIR COMPANY.
THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA WANT SOMEONE WHO WANTS THAT MONEY FOR DOING NOTHING.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY, YOU DON'T EVER GET TO OWN A PROPERTY THAT YOU DON'T LIVE IN EVER AGAIN.
1000 TO $2,000 ON, ON THESE CITATIONS.
A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH FROM HUNDRED TENANT.
SO IT'S JUST THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
[01:05:01]
YES MA'AM.IF 3 0 1 CD SOLD SITUATION AT EARLY STAGES, THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO.
THE 3 1 1, ASK FOR IF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, HEALTH DEPARTMENT 3 1 1.
YOU KNOW, YOU COME OUT, AN INSPECTOR FROM HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMES OUT PEST INFESTATION.
YOU TELL THE OWNER YOU HAVE TO GET A PEST CONTROL.
IF THEY DON'T GET THE PEST CONTROL PERSON, PERSON OUT THERE, THEY GET A CITATION.
THEN YOU, SO THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE A NOSE VIOLATION WHEN WE SEE PEST NOTICE A VIOLATION WHEN THEY SEE THE PEST.
SO IT COULD BE UP TO THREE DAYS.
YOU HAVE TO GET, UM, A PEST PATROL TO COME THREE TO SEVEN BUSINESS DAYS TO, YOU KNOW, UM, A COMPANY TO COME TO.
AND IF THEY DON'T, YOU GO BACK ON THE SEVENTH DAY AND SAY, YOU DIDN'T GET ANYBODY OUT HERE.
SO WE KEEP, AND INSTEAD OF JUST KEEPING THAT GOING FOREVER THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE, HOPE WE GET THEM ON THIS LIST.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA STACK UP THE CITATIONS AND THEN WE REALLY GET SERIOUS.
OF COURSE, MY NAME IS, UH, KAREN MCGEE, AND I AM IN 7, 7 3 4 6 IN HUMBLE
BUT IT'S, IT IS HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, I MOVED INTO, UH, TO THIS UNIT.
UM, UH, WHEN I MOVED IN THERE, I WAS HOMELESS.
'CAUSE COMING OUTTA HARVEY, UH, UM, WHEN I, UH, MOVED IN THERE, UM, FINALLY AFTER THREE MONTHS THAT THE LADY KEPT TELLING ME, UM, WE HAD TO HAVE THIS, THIS, WE HAVE THIS, THIS.
COME TO FIND OUT, UH, WHEN I, UH, FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET IN THE UNIT, UM, SHE HAD TOLD ME THERE WAS NO 30 NO MORE, 30%.
AND, UH, UM, MY DAUGHTER HAD TO HELP ME TO GET IN.
SO, BUT FAST FORWARDING ALL TO SAY, UH, AFTER MOVING IN THERE, UH, AND THIS IS THE, OH, LET ME, A, THIS IS A 55 UP.
SO, UM, UM, THE, THE LADY UP ABOVE ME, AND I LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
NOTICE I SAID, I'VE BEEN, THIS IS WHAT, 20, UH, 20, 26.
SO, UM, LADY UPSTAIRS OF ABOVE ME HAVING CHILDREN, JUST STOMPING, STOMPING, STOMPING, STOMPING, STOMPING, YOU KNOW, RUNNING, STOMPING AND ALL THAT.
SO FAST FORWARD, I STARTED COMPLAINING AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UH, IT, NOTHING WAS HAPPENING.
SO FAST FORWARDING THE LADY THAT WAS THERE, SHE HAD ACTUALLY, UH, TOOK MY, MY RENT AND, UH, ADDED, UH, PUT THAT DEPOSIT, UH, LIKE IN THE DECEMBER.
I DIDN'T GET TO MOVE IN THE PLACE TILL NOVEMBER.
I PUT MY, UH, THE CHECK THERE ON THE, THE DEPOSIT ON THE CHECK, UH, WAS IN SEPTEMBER RIGHT AFTER HARVEY.
SO, FAST FORWARDING, UH, I START COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THIS.
AND WHAT HAPPENED? JUST TO TELL YOU, UH, MY DOOR GOT EGGED.
AND, UM, AND THE THING IS, IS THAT THEY END UP FIRING HER AND ALL THESE THINGS.
AFTER I TURNED IN, ALL THE THINGS THAT SHE HAD DONE, I LOST MY CAR.
SHE MESSED UP MY BANK ACCOUNT AND ALL THAT.
AND I SENT ALL THOSE THINGS TO CORPORATE OFFICE.
POLICE CAME OUT, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF.
IT'S IN THE HUMBLE, HE SAID, THIS WILL NEVER GO AWAY.
SO, BUT ALL TO SAY, I AM STILL THERE.
AND, UH, I'VE HAD A LOT, UH, OTHER THINGS THAT HAS, UH, TAKEN PLACE.
SHE WAS PUTTING THINGS ON MY DOOR.
AND, UH, FAST FORWARDING THEN SHE HAD COVID.
THIS SOUNDS, THIS SOUNDS LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF MM-HMM
BUT THIS SOUNDS LIKE MORE OF KIND OF A PERSONAL HARASSMENT KIND OF THING, RATHER THAN A, ANYTHING WRONG WITH LIKE THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF YOUR APARTMENT.
WELL, THE THING, WHAT IT, IT IS ALSO, WE'VE HAD, UH, UH, UH, AN INFESTATION OF ROACHES OF A LA UH, AND, AND SINCE YOU'RE IN HUMBLE, UH, THAT UNFORTUNATELY THIS ORDINANCE WON'T COVER YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEX.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROPER.
SO YOU'LL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CHECK, EVEN THOUGH IT'S HARRIS COUNTY.
IT'S HARRIS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, OR HUMBLE COULD HAVE THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, SET OF INSPECTORS OR, OR WHAT RULES I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH.
I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT I'M SORRY,
[01:10:01]
THIS JUST, OUR ORDINANCE WON.I DIDN'T KNOW, BUT I WON'T IMPACT YOU.
BUT IT IS GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU.
AND, AND, BUT I COULD, UH, CALL 3 1 1.
THAT'S SOMETHING, WELL, NOT, NOT HOUSTON'S 3 1 1, BUT IF YOU'RE IN THE CITY OF HUMBLE, YOU CAN CALL THEIR THREE ONE ONE.
IT'LL JUST BE DIVERTED TO, I MEAN, UMBLE HAS 3 1 1.
EVERYBODY HAS 3 1 1, RIGHT? I THINK HARRIS, HARRIS COUNTY, AND THERE'S, YEAH.
I'M GONNA FIND OUT WHO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CALL
LAURA, YOU WANNA COME ON UP AND EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, A TENANT SITUATION, WE STILL WOULD LIKE YOUR INPUT ON HOW YOU THINK THE CITY CAN BETTER ENFORCE ITS RULES.
THIS IS MY, MY NEWEST COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALEJANDRA SALINAS.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT C AND I'VE SPOKEN TO MANY RESIDENTS IN MEYERLAND ABOUT LIFE IN JACKSON SQUARE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, I FIGURED, I KNOW JULIO KNOWS.
MY QUESTION TO GET BACK TO THEM IS HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? RIGHT.
DO I NEED TO, DO I NEED TO GO INTO IT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON? WELL, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LAWSUIT ON THAT, ON THAT PROPERTY.
I MEAN, THERE'S A CHAPTER NEW, WHATEVER THEY'RE CALLED, CHAPTER 1 25, NUISANCE LAWSUIT GOING ON IN THAT PROPERTY THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN BY THERE MANY TIMES.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LEGITIMATELY LIVING THERE.
SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST SQUATTING THERE.
THERE'S LOTS OF BROKEN WINDOWS, BROKEN DOORS, IT'S A MESS.
SO THAT'S ALL KIND OF IN LITIGATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW POLICE ARE ACTIVELY GOING TO THAT PROPERTY A LOT.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THE PARTIES TO THE LITIGATION ARE? NO, BUT I CAN, I, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
UH, LIKE SHE SAID, MY NAME IS COUNCIL MEMBER ALEJANDRA SALINAS.
AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR TAKING SOME TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO BE HERE WITH US.
YOU'RE, YOU HAVE INCREDIBLY BUSY LIVES.
YOU TOOK TIME OUT TO SHARE YOUR STORIES FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
I AM SO SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THOSE CONDITIONS.
AND KNOW THAT WE, THE POLICY MAKERS HEAR YOU.
AND WE ARE GONNA TAKE THOSE STORIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
BUT KNOW THAT COMING HERE TODAY, YOU EXERCISED YOUR POWER BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA TAKE YOUR STORIES BACK AND WE'RE GONNA FIGHT AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THERE FOR YOU.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT THESE BATTLES ALONE.
BUT KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE WITH YOU.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT YOU.
THANK YOU FOR USING YOUR POWER.
WE'RE GONNA BE HERE TO BACK YOU UP.
WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR STORIES.
IT TAKES A LOT TO STAND THERE AT THE MIC AND GIVE YOUR, GIVE YOUR STORY AND DRIVE ALL THE WAY OVER HERE IN THE NIGHTTIME.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, LIKE, APPLICATION OF THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? UH, THEY WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT HOW THERE SHOULD BE A CAMPAIGN OR SOME WAY TO GET PUBLIC MM-HMM
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
'CAUSE WHEN PEOPLE LOOK FOR APARTMENT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE GONNA MAYBE GO ON THE COMPUTER OR THEY'RE MAYBE GONNA DRIVE BY A PLACE AND SAY, OH, THERE'S OPENINGS HERE.
BUT LIKE, IF THEY'RE NOT CROSSING WITH THE BAD LIST, THE NAUGHTY LIST, THEN THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE PUT INTO THESE PLACES THAT HAVE PROBLEMS. RIGHT.
ALSO, LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF HOUSING THAT IS SORT OF LIKE HOUSING OF LAST RESORT THAT PEOPLE JUST DON'T HAVE A CHOICE AND THEY JUST END UP IN THESE PLACES ANYWAY.
AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS, AND I'VE HEARD THIS COUNTLESS TIMES, THEY GO, SOMEONE LOOKING FOR A PROP APARTMENT GOES IN THE PROPERTY, THEY'RE SHOWN A NICE UNIT, THEY SIGN THE LEASE, THEY GO TO MOVE IN, THEY'RE DIVERTED TO A DILAPIDATED APARTMENT.
LIKE, HOW ARE WE CATCHING THESE TENANTS BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO A CONTRACT TO GET INTO THESE KINDS OF PLACES? BECAUSE THE ONUS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE TENANT TO BE THIS LIKE SUPER SLEUTH TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, IS THIS A GOOD PLACE OR NOT? IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS APARTMENT ORDINANCE, THEY NEED, IT NEEDS TO BE PROACTIVE IN CATCHING PEOPLE BEFORE THEY FALL INTO THESE TRAPS.
ALL GUYS, I'M SORRY, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
WHO? OH, LONE STAR LEGAL AID IS HERE.
AND THEN I THINK WE'RE, I THINK THEY'RE READY TO RECONVENE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THESE LAST COMMENTS VERY SHORT.
UH, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GIVING ME TWO SECONDS.
[01:15:01]
MY NAME IS KIM BROWN MILES.I'M AN ATTORNEY AT LONE STAR LEGAL AID.
I'M A LITIGATION DIRECTOR OF OUR FAIR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY TEAMS. I WANT TO BE HERE JUST SORT OF TO HEAR ABOUT THE NEW ORDINANCE.
I CAN'T COMMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING.
HOWEVER, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COME TO SEE ME, UH, I, WE DO HOUSING WORK, UH, HOUSING SAFETY.
I HAVE AN INTEREST, PARTICULARLY IN SAFETY AND IN CIVIL RIGHTS RELATED TO HOUSING.
SO PLEASE COME SEE ME AFTER THE EVENT.
UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT HOW TO APPLY WITH LONE STAR IF YOU HAVE ANY LEGAL ISSUES THAT FALL WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I SEE JULIO ASKED FOR SOME SUGGESTION.
SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS I HAVE IS THAT EVERYBODY SAID EDUCATION.
THEY TAKE FEDERAL OUR TAX MONEY, AND THEY HAVE LAWYERS.
I THINK SOME FEDERAL TAX MONEY NEED TO GO FOR THE TENANTS.
THERE SHOULD BE A WHOLE LAW FIRM THAT DON'T MIND SUING.
SEE, THEY CAN'T SUE 'EM IF THEY DO WRONG.
I LOVE THAT TEAM UNDER ATTORNEY BROWN.
WE NEED A TEAM OF LAWYERS THAT WORK FOR THE TENANTS ALSO.
YOU ASK, WHAT COULD WE DO? CLOSE DOWN THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAVE LAND ALREADY READY NOWADAYS.
THEY HAVE EXCELLENT TRAILER HOMES.
GET IT WHERE THE TENANT IS RENT TO BUY AND TEACH 'EM HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A HOMES AND EVERYTHING.
I KNOW I CAME UP IN A DOUBLE FOUR BEDROOM, THREE BATH TRAILER HOME ON, ON OUR LAND AND EVERYTHING AT HOME, UM, OWNERSHIP.
SO WHEN THEY GO INTO THESE HOMES, THEY BUYING 'EM.
THEY'RE TAUGHT, THEY'RE TAUGHT THE EQUITY IN THERE AND EVERYTHING.
AND SO THERE ARE ALSO TRANSPORTATION WITH METRO.
METRO HAS DONE A TERRIBLE JOB FOR US TO HAVE TO WALK TO THE BUS.
SO WHEN YOU PUT 'EM IN THESE PLACES, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO WALK.
I WALK WITH A CANE MOST OF THE TIME, AND YOU GOT TO WALK MILES FOR THAT.
SO WHEN, LOOK, LOOK IN, IN FOR THAT.
THE NEXT THING, WHEN PEOPLE MOVE INTO OUR, I'M IN 7, 7 0 0 4.
I'M IN THE CENTER THERE RIGHT ACROSS FROM TSU AND COUNTY.
GUESS WHAT? NOW WHEN THEY BRING IT IN, WHERE THEY WERE GIVEN THE $500, WE DON'T QUALIFY BECAUSE IT HAS GONE UP.
AND NOW WE NOT IN A LOW INCOME AREA.
SO WE ARE SITTING DOWN WITH THE LAWYER, THE LAWMAKERS WE PUT IN OFFICE, AND WE ARE HELPING THEM WRITE THE LAWS, THEY WRITING THE LAWS, THE WAY THEY UNDERSTAND THE LAWS.
I'M SORRY, Y'ALL GET LOUDER WHEN I GET THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TONIGHT.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR INPUT.
WE'RE YOU'RE HELPING US WRITE THE LAWS.
WE REALLY DO HAVE TO WRAP IT UP.
UH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO RECONVENE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
AGAIN, ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND WE WE'RE GONNA GO BACK IN THE OTHER ROOM JUST TO KIND OF WRAP THIS UP.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WRITE IN THE INDEX CARDS AND GIVE THEM TO US.
ALL RIGHT, LOOKS LIKE A GREAT GROUP.
I DO WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF TRANSLATION SERVICES, UM, THAT IS AVAILABLE.
YOU CAN STEP RIGHT OUTSIDE AND THEY'LL GET YOU HOOKED UP, UM, WITH TRANS TRANSLATION SERVICES.
IF NOT, UM, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND JUMP RIGHT INTO OUR CONVERSATION.
UH, WHEN WE HAD THIS MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE BASICALLY STARTED OUT WITH WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS WITH THE ORDINANCE? UM, WE'VE GOT OUR DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES HERE IN THE MEETING.
UM, WE HEARD SOME GOOD FEEDBACK LAST TIME ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT PROPERTY MANAGERS WERE NOT RECEIVING THE CITATIONS AND THAT THESE CITATIONS WERE GOING TO THE OWNERS AS OPPOSED TO THE ACTUAL PROPERTY MANNER.
SO WE, WE HEARD SOME FEEDBACK AROUND THAT.
UM, BUT THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE.
HOW MANY, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS DO WE HAVE IN THE ROOM? DO WE HAVE LANDLORDS IN THE ROOM? OKAY.
UM, ANY PROPERTY MANAGERS IN THE ROOM THAT ARE ACTUALLY RUNNING THE PROPERTIES? SO WE'VE GOT A GROUP OF LANDLORDS IN THE ROOM.
TELL ME WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE WITH THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE.
MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THE MAYOR, PRO TEM, CITY OF HOUSTON.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF CONCERNS DO Y'ALL HAVE ABOUT THE ORDINANCE NOW I KNOW Y'ALL DIDN'T COME HERE WITH NO CONCERNS.
[01:20:05]
YES, MA'AM.IF YOU WILL TELL US YOUR NAME.
AND I PURCHASED A, AN EIGHT UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING IN 2010, UM, IN FIFTH WARD.
WHEN I GOT IT, IT WAS PRETTY IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO FIX IT UP RIGHT AWAY, BUT I, OVER THE YEARS, I MADE VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I TOOK IT FROM BEING A DRUG INFESTED ROACH, INFESTED TRASHY PROPERTY TO A PLACE THAT'S A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE.
BECAUSE MY PHILOSOPHY IS I DON'T OWN ANYTHING THAT I CAN'T LIVE IN.
SO THE LAST, UM, THING THAT I DID, I, THE WINDOWS IN THIS PROPERTY WERE HORRIBLE.
THEY WERE, THE BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1968.
SO THESE WERE ALUMINUM TYPE WINDOWS.
AND I HAD BEEN WANTING TO DO IT FOREVER.
SO IN 2023, I DID, I, AND I, I, I, AN EIGHT UNIT PROPERTY ISN'T GIVING ME THAT MUCH CASH FLOW TO WORK WITH.
SO I COULD NOT ACCUMULATE ENOUGH MONEY MM-HMM
TO PUT WINDOWS IN THE WHOLE PLACE.
SO FORTUNATELY THROUGH, UM, CAN'T, I RECEIVED A GRANT, I WENT OUT AND I FOUND A GRANT THAT ALLOWED ME TO DO THAT.
UM, SO I HIRED A COMPANY THAT'S IN THIS BUSINESS, ALLIED SIDING AND WINDOWS.
THEY DO WINDOWS WINDOW REPLACEMENTS.
SO WHEN I HIRED THEM, I HIRED THEM TO HANDLE THE JOB FROM START TO FINISH.
AND I HIRED SOMEBODY, LIKE MOST PEOPLE, YOU HIRE A CONTRACTOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE.
THAT INCLUDES KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THE CITY MAY REQUIRE.
WELL, WHEN I HIRED THIS COMPANY, I EXPECTED THAT COMPANY TO DO WHATEVER THE CITY REQUIREMENTS WERE.
WELL, AS IT TURNS OUT, I WAS INSPECTED FEBRUARY.
AND THEY SAW THAT THE WINDOWS WERE RELATIVELY NEW.
SO THEY PUT A ORANGE OR A RED TAG, WHATEVER, TAG ON THE WINDOW AND GAVE ME TWO WEEKS TO PAY THE FEES, THE PERMIT FEES AND ALL OF THAT SO THEY CAN DO THE INSPECTIONS.
WELL, IT'S AN EIGHT UNIT PROPERTY.
I THOUGHT THE CONTRACTOR WOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF THAT.
BUT HE SAID 90% OF THE TIME, ONCE I CONTACTED HIM, SAID 99% OF THE TIME THEY DO NOT PULL THE PERMIT PERMITS.
BUT THAT WAS NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME.
AND WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE IN PERMITTING, I, WHAT I DON'T LIKE IS THE ADVERSARIAL ATTITUDES.
IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS THE PROPERTY OWNER.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW WHO READ CODES? MM-HMM
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO INTERPRET CODES? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW WHO CAN HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO JUST TELL THEM WHAT THESE PARTICULAR CODES ARE? IN MY OPINION, THE CITY, THE STATE OR WHOEVER WRITE THESE CODES, GIVE THESE CONTRACTORS FREE REIGN.
THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEM.
I'VE BEEN TOLD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, LECTURED, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
[01:25:01]
RIGHT.SO IT IS YOUR CONCERN THAT BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD TO GO BACK AND PAY THE PERMITTING FEE.
TELL ME WHAT THE I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T PAID IT YET.
BECAUSE I TOLD THEM THAT AT, AT THIS TIME, I COULD NOT PAY ALL OF THOSE PERMITTING FEES.
DO YOU MIND ME ASKING HOW MUCH YOUR FEES ARE? I WENT OUT AND CHECKED.
IT'S JUST THAT I COULD NOT, AND THE THING IS, YOU HAVE TO PAY PERMITTING FEES FOR EACH WINDOW.
SO WE, LET ME, LET ME JUST TELL YOU THIS.
UM, I WANT TO CONNECT YOU WITH THE STAFF BECAUSE I I, I'M SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK SOMETHING OUT.
UM, WHETHER THAT IS, UH, SOME TYPE OF, UH, PAYMENT PLAN.
THEY ACT LIKE THERE IS NO OTHER SOLUTION.
THEY TOLD ME, WELL, YOU GOT TWO WEEKS TO PAY, THEN WE'LL COME OUT AND PUT ANOTHER STICKER FOR ANOTHER WEEK AND THEN WE'LL TAKE YOU TO COURT.
LET, LET, LET ME CONNECT YOU WITH THE STAFF.
WE, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH YOU THROUGH YOUR ISSUE.
WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE PUNITIVE.
UM, WE WANT, WE WANT, IT'S PUNITIVE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS.
WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE PUNITIVE.
THERE ARE SOME RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN YOU BUY A BUILDING AND YOU DO THE REHAB.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO KNOW ALL THE RULES.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME RESPONSIBILITIES AND THERE'S A GOOD WAY FOR US TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OWNERS.
IF SOMEBODY WAS, UH, ADVERSARIAL, THEY WERE, WERE, 'CAUSE THAT IS NOT THE WAY, UH, WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE REFLECTED TO HOUSTONIANS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS IN OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW IT HAPPENS, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT IT WAS, BUT I KNOW TONIGHT THAT WE HAVE SOME STAFF HERE THAT WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU AND LET US TRY TO GET TO A RESOLUTION, UM, WITH YOUR PARTICULAR ISSUE.
BECAUSE MY OBJECTIVE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO PROVIDE DECENT HOUSING FOR DECENT PEOPLE.
AND WE NEED, WE NEED THOSE PARTNERS IN THE CITY.
WE NEED, WE ARE, WE ARE AT THOUSANDS OF UNITS SHORTAGE, UM, FOR HOUSING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WELL, THEY WERE MAKING ME CONSIDERING JUST SHUTTING IT DOWN BECAUSE I'M NOT HAPPY AT THIS POINT.
WELL, AND I, I DON'T LIKE, LISTEN, I DO NOT LIKE BEING THREATENED.
NO ONE HERE IS GONNA GOING TO THREATEN YOU.
LET US, GIVE US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HELP MAKE THAT RIGHT.
ANY OTHER, UM, CONCERNS FROM OWNERS? YES, SIR.
UM, DIDI'S GONNA GIVE YOU THE MICROPHONE.
UM, YEAH, MY QUESTIONS ARE AROUND THE HIGH RISK PROGRAM AND WHAT VIOLATIONS SPECIFICALLY WOULD PUT A LANDLORD OR AN OWNER INTO THE HIGH RISK CATEGORY.
AND ALSO IS THERE CAN, CAN THERE BE AN INFINITE NUMBER OF LOW, LOW RISK VIOLATIONS? IN FACT, LIKE IS THERE A QUOTA IF YOU COMMIT CERTAIN VIOLATIONS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TIMES ARE YOU THEN QUALIFY AS A HIGH RISK IN THE HIGH RISK PROGRAM? SO WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH WHAT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS WILL BE.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU HAVE IS, IS A, A DRAFT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE, THE HIGH RISK, UM, ISSUES ARE GOING TO BE THOSE, THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE HARMFUL TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUSING PEOPLE TO HAVE TO CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE RATS RUNNING IN THEIR LIVING ROOM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED HIGH RISK.
UM, SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ON A, ON A, A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
UM, BUT TELL ME WHAT THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION IS.
THE SECOND PART IS JUST IF THEY CAN INFINITELY HAVE MINOR VIOLATIONS.
SO I TOO AM JUST TRYING TO PROVIDE A DECENT PRODUCT.
AND SOME OF MY COMPETITION IS RENTING APARTMENTS THAT AREN'T EVEN HEALTHY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO THEY HAVE MANY VIOLATIONS AND SO THEY'RE DRIVING THE PRICE DOWN.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A DEFI, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SURPLUS OF HOUSES.
BUT I SEE MY, MY UNIT SIT EMPTY LONGER BECAUSE OF THE, UH, POPULATION.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT I'M, THAT I'M ADDRESSING IS BASICALLY WORRIED ABOUT PRICE.
SO THEY'RE COMING IN AT PRICE, THEY'RE GETTING THE LOWEST AND THEY'RE GETTING, AND THE COMPETITION IS JUST, THEY'RE NOT EVEN, SO THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING AS QUALITY, RIGHT.
THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING QUALITY, BUT THEIR PRICE IS CHEAPER.
WELL, THE GOAL OF THE APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE IS TO IDENTIFY THOSE
[01:30:01]
VERY HIGH RISK APARTMENT COMPLEXES.AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US AS A CITY IS TO MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS BECAUSE THIS ORDINANCE DOES NOT ANSWER ALL THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT ALL.
RIGHT? THIS ORDINANCE IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO HOLD THOSE TOP 2025 APARTMENT COMPLEXES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE HIGH RISK PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT CONTINUOUSLY.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WILL HELP WITH THE COMPETITION SITUATION, UM, AS FAR AS PRICING, BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE, WE, I MEAN, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER CAN PROBABLY TELL YOU THE TOP FIVE WORST APARTMENT COMPLEXES RIGHT.
IN THEIR DISTRICT BECAUSE WE GET THAT MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT AND WE HAVE TO CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ABOUT IT.
AND WE'RE FILING, UM, CHARGES WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A MECHANISM THAT THOSE TOP 20 TO 25 APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT ARE EXTREME NUISANCES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT WE CAN TRY TO RECTIFY WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND HOPEFULLY GET THEM OFF THE LIST.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY, UM, IS THERE AN IDEA OR A NOTION TO CREATE LIKE A LOW INTEREST REVOLVING FUND TO HELP, UH, LANDLORDS OUT TO UPGRADE? FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THEIR WINDOWS OR SO FORTH? OR IF THEY HIT A VIOLATION OR THEY HAVE WATER DAMAGE, LET'S SAY THEY HAVE MOLD, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THERE MIGHT BE FUNDS PROVIDED THAT WOULD BE IN A REVOLVING LOAN? 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAP, THE IMMEDIATE, SO WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT A REVOLVING LOAN.
DO YOU, DO YOU, I MEAN, IF, IF THAT'S A SUGGESTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE.
YEAH, THAT'S, WE CAN DEFINITELY PUT THAT DOWN, UM, TO LOOK AT SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS, MAYBE WITH SOME LENDING INSTITUTIONS FOR REVOLVING LOANS.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A BAD IDEA.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE STAFF, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT WHEN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX GETS A CITATION? THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY HAVE TO CURE THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE MAKING EFFORTS TO CURE.
WE HEAR FROM PEOPLE A LOT THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE ME TO COURT.
BUT I ALSO HEAR FROM THE STAFF THAT WE DO ALLOW PEOPLE THE TIME TO CURE.
IF THEY CAN SHOW THAT WE'VE CALLED TO EXTERMINATE, WE'VE DONE, WE HAVE THE PROOF THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT.
UM, THERE IS OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO, UM, TRY TO HELP THESE OWNERS SECURE ANYBODY WANT TO OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, AS YOU ALLUDED TO, UH, AND I THINK IT'S THE SAME FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS.
IF, IF UH, AN INVESTIGATOR SHOWS UP AND THEY SEE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S REPORTED TO US, UH, AN INVESTIGATOR'S GONNA GO OUT AND LOOK AT IT.
AND IF THEY GO OUT AND IDENTIFY, YES, THIS IS INDEED A VIOLATION, THE FIRST THING THAT YOU'RE GONNA RECEIVE IS A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND THAT'S NOT A CITATION.
THAT'S JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, WE SAW THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE VIOLATIONS, UM, SOME OF 'EM, UM, AS LITTLE AS 72 HOURS TO GET FIXED.
BUT USUALLY IT'S SEVEN, SEVEN DAYS.
UM, SO IF, IF WE SEE YOUR MAKING PROGRESS, IT COULD BE A LITTLE MORE, BUT YOU'LL ALWAYS GET A NOTICE OF VIOLATION BEFORE YOU GET A CITATION.
SO WE ALWAYS GIVE IT IN ALMOST, I SAY ALMOST ALL CASES.
YOU'LL GET THAT NOV FIRST AND YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIX IT AND MAKE IT RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET DRAGGED TO COURT, SO TO SPEAK.
I CAN SAY SOMETHING, YES MA'AM.
UM, WITH THE PART WITH THE SERGEANT SIMON.
UM, WHEN WE WOULD GO OUT AND DO THESE INSPECTIONS, WE DO ISSUE CITATIONS.
AND I KNOW WE USUALLY WOULD GIVE A GRACE PERIOD.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE, OH HEY, YOU HAVE FIVE DAYS TO FIX IT.
YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO BE DEPENDING ON THE VIOLATION, WE TRY TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN FIX OVERNIGHT, SOME ISSUES.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE ONCE YOU FIX THAT ISSUE, IT'S ADDRESSED AND WE GO OUT, WE INSPECT THE PROPERTY, WE WALK IT AGAIN AND WE SEE, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY MANAGER IS WORKING WITH US.
THEY'RE WORKING ON THESE VIOLATIONS THAT WE PREVIOUSLY TICKETED THEM ON.
UM, YOU ALSO SHOW THIS PROOF TO THE COURT, THE JUDGE, THEY MIGHT ALSO WORK WITH YOU GUYS 'CAUSE THEY'LL SEE THAT YOU GUYS ARE MAKING MOVEMENT, MAKING PROGRESS AND TRYING TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY BETTER.
UM, SO IT, THERE IS A TIMEFRAME AND A LOT OF IT, UH, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF IT, UH, WE CAN WORK WITH YOU GUYS AS WELL.
AND I HOPE THAT WHAT THE OWNERS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BE PUNITIVE UNLESS YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS HARMFUL TO TENANTS.
IF YOU ARE OPERATING IN GOOD FAITH AND YOU ARE PROVIDING HOUSING FOR HOUSTONIANS,
[01:35:01]
AND IF SOMEONE REPORTS SOMETHING AND YOU RECEIVE A NOTICE, UM, TO CURE SOMETHING AND YOU ARE MAKING THE EFFORTS TO CURE THAT, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE HOUSTONIANS HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE.I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAD AN UPDATE ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MANAGERS WOULD STILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN THEIR NAME AND BE TAKEN TO COURT LIKE I DID THIS MORNING.
WAS THAT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON? YES, IT IS.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC ISSUE.
UM, I THINK YOU SAID YOU GOT A CITATION FROM A POOL VENDOR LAST TIME AGAIN, ANOTHER POOL VENDOR WASN'T EVEN ME.
HERE I AM YET AGAIN WITH SOMETHING ELSE IN MY NAME PAST MANAGER.
WISH THEY WOULD'VE PUT IT IN HER NAME.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT Y'ALL DID.
BUT THIS IS FROM A POOL COMPANY.
IT IS FROM YOU GUYS, MR. RYAN.
IT WAS FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR A POOL COMPANY.
NO, UH, APPARENTLY HE DID NOT CHECK THAT THE LATCH WAS WORKING.
DIDN'T EVEN COME INTO MY OFFICE.
I KNOW HE DIDN'T COME INTO MY OFFICE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MANY VISITS FROM ALL OF YOU AND I'VE ALWAYS, WE'VE ALWAYS WALKED WITH THEM WHEN THEY HAD ISSUES.
SO HE DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO COME IN THERE.
AND THE ONLY REASON I GOT THIS WAS 'CAUSE IT CAME IN THE MAIL.
SO IMAGINE IF I HADN'T OPENED THAT MAIL IN TIME TO KNOW THAT TODAY I HAD COURT YAY ME.
AND WHEN I GO BEFORE A JUDGE HIM ASK ME FOR MY ID AGAIN SO THAT THEY CAN PUT MY NAME DOWN.
SO THIS WAS A SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT I TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THAT WE GLEANED FROM THE FIRST MEETING THAT THE PROPERTY MANAGERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ANY CITATIONS OR NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS BEING PUT IN THEIR ACTUAL NAMES.
UM, AND SO WE WERE DEFINITELY HAVE THAT DOWN AS PART OF OUR CONVERSATION IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE NAME OF THE OWNERS, THE ACTUAL OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY, AND WHETHER THAT IS GOING TO BE, WE'RE REQUIRING THAT TO BE IN THE, THE LEASING OFFICES OR ON THE DOCUMENTATION.
SO MANY OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAVE LLCS OR DIFFERENT NAMES THAT DON'T INCLUDE THE OWNERS.
AND SO THE PEOPLE THAT THEY COME IN CONTACT WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO DELIVER THE NOTICES AND THE VIOLATIONS ARE THE PROPERTY MANAGERS BECAUSE THEY'RE ON THE PROPERTY.
AND SO, UNFORTUNATELY IN YOUR CASE, YOU DON'T EVEN WORK THERE ANYMORE, BUT YOUR NAME SEEMS TO, NO, THIS IS MY NEW PROPERTY.
OH, THIS IS YOUR NEW PROPERTY WE JUST TOOK OVER IN NOVEMBER.
I GET CALLED FOR THESE TYPE OF PROPERTIES.
ME, WE'VE GOT THIS PROPERTY, WE WANT YOU TO COME FIX IT.
WHAT I DON'T LOVE A CHALLENGE IS FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN I'M TRYING TO FLIP THE PROPERTY OVER AND MAKE IT HABITABLE FOR PEOPLE.
WELL, FIRST LET ME JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT HABITABLE FOR PEOPLE AND WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU.
UM, WE'VE GOT THE STAFF HERE TONIGHT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I, I, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HER CONCERNS ARE WILL BE ADDRESSED.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED BY PUTTING HER NAME AS THE PROPERTY MANAGER IS NOT A PRACTICE THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO.
AND THAT WE REQUIRE A SPECIFIC NAME FOR THE COMPLEX.
WE NEED THE OWNER'S NAME, CONTACT INFORMATION.
AND I, I'M CURIOUS, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, SO AS A PROPERTY MANAGER, IS THE OWNER'S NAME AVAILABLE? CAN YOU GIVE, LIKE, IF I GO YEAH.
TO GIVE YOU A CITATION OR A VI A NOTICE OF VIOLATION, DO YOU NOT TELL THE PERSON THAT CAME, YOU KNOW, I'M THE PROPERTY MANAGER, MR. JOHN SMITH IS THE OWNER.
THEY SAY THEY CAN'T PUT ANY OTHER NAME BUT YOUR NAME BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PERSON IN CHARGE.
IS THAT THE WAY THAT'S SET UP? YOU DO, YEAH, SURE.
BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO GET THE CITATION IF WE HAVE ACCESS THE PROPERTY MANAGER THAT IT ACTUALLY IS THE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, I THINK THE MAIN THING I WANNA POINT OUT TODAY, AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY FEEL LIKE THAT'S NOT THE CASE, BUT THE, THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER IS A SERVICE LINE THAT OUR GOAL IS COMPLIANCE, WHERE SOMETIMES IT MAY FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING PUNITIVE AND WE'RE GOING OUT THERE AND ISSUING CITATIONS.
WE WANT TO BRING PEOPLE INTO COMPLIANCE OR WE WANNA BE IN STRUCTURES AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES AND RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES INTO COMPLIANCE.
SO TO YOU, I APOLOGIZE FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD WITH THAT.
UM, I WILL TALK, I KNOW CHRIS SHANAHAN'S HERE ALSO.
UH, WE WILL TALK ABOUT IT AND FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A BETTER WAY, MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING THAT OUR TEAM NEEDS TO HAVE.
I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING OF INTEREST TO US BECAUSE IT'S VERY VALUABLE THAT WE AND, AND
[01:40:01]
RESIDENTS AND, AND AND, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS FEEL RESPECTED.UM, SO I I JUST, AGAIN, FOR WHATEVER EXPERIENCE YOU HAD, MY APOLOGIES.
UH, I'D LOVE TO GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM YOU.
I THINK I MIGHT'VE EVEN, YOU AND I SPOKE ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY OR DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY.
BUT, UM, REGARDING THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER OR THE MAN, YOU KNOW, LEASING MANAGER, THAT'S ONE, THAT'S A REALLY TOUGH THING.
AND, AND TRUST ME, WE DON'T WANT TO ISSUE A CITATION TO A PROPERTY MANAGER.
UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF TIMES IT IS A, UH, IT'S IN AN LLC, UH, WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE PROPERTY MANAGER IS.
UH, WE HAVE ACTUALLY CONSULTED WITH OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT WHO STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T ISSUE A CITATION IN AN LLC.
IT MUST GO INTO SOMEBODY'S NAME.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS YOU GO TO COURT AND IT GETS DISMISSED.
AND MAYBE IN SOME CASES RIGHTFULLY SO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUR OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO BE ABOUT COMPLIANCE AND NOT PUNITIVE.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BAD ACTORS OUT THERE THAT TEND TO NEGLECT OR REFUSE TO SECURE PERMITS OR DO WHATEVER'S NECESSARY TO BRING THEIR PROPERTIES INTO COMPLIANCE.
SO TO YOUR POINT, UH, IT'S WELL TAKEN.
UH, I WISH THERE WAS A BETTER ANSWER.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THAT.
IT DOESN'T DO US ANY GOOD ISSUING A A CITATION TO YOU, BUT IN SOME CASES, OR A PROPERTY MANAGER.
BUT IN SOME CASES THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE HAD THE INFORMATION, GO AHEAD.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHEN SOMEONE IS COMING TO THE PROPERTY, CAN YOU GIVE OUT THE OWNER'S INFORMATION? YES.
CAN YOU, SO THAT THE CITATION YOU CAN BE, YOU CAN GIVE, YOU CAN GIVE ANYONE'S NAME.
I COULD GIVE A FAKE NAME ANYTIME THEY COME TO SEE ME.
'CAUSE I, I'VE, I'VE ACTUALLY STOPPED MAKING BUSINESS CARDS FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF YOUR TICKETS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE JUST TOOK OVER THE PROPERTY.
SO NOW WHEN NEW OWNERSHIP COMES OVER AND YOU HAVE ISSUED A CITATION FROM OVER A YEAR AGO, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW SOME OF HOW OLD THESE PERMITS WERE, YOU GUYS CITED THEM OVER A YEAR AGO, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HOLD THE OLD OWNERSHIP RESPONSIBLE.
YOU'RE GONNA HOLD THE NEW OWNERSHIP RESPONSIBLE.
HOW IS THAT FAIR TO THE NEW OWNERSHIP? WHY WOULD PEOPLE WANNA COME BUY PROPERTY HERE? WHY WOULD ANYONE WANNA CALL ME FOR ANOTHER JOB? WHY THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FOR THAT NEW OWNERSHIP TO WANNA COME IN AND HAVE TO TAKE OVER WHERE THE OLD OWNERSHIP LACKED? WELL, LISTEN, THEY SOLD THE PROPERTY.
I'LL TELL YOU THIS, IT TO THEM TELL YOU, IF, IF I WERE A PROPERTY OWNER AND I WAS GOING TO BUY A PROPERTY, I WOULD GET IT INSPECTED.
I WOULD KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT PROPERTY, ABOUT WHAT I NEED TO FIX AND WHAT I NEED TO DO WHEN I PURCHASED THAT PROPERTY.
AND WHEN A, A PROPERTY CHANGES OWNERSHIP, UM, YOU DO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT PROPERTY.
NOW, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE CITATION OR THE, UH, NOTICE OF VIOLATION SHOULD NOT GO TO THE PROPERTY MANAGER.
BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY OF PROPERTY MANAGERS TO PROVIDE THE ACTUAL NAME OF THE OWNER THAT YOU ARE WORKING FOR.
UM, OR HOWEVER THE PERSON THAT IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE.
BECAUSE IF WE ONLY HAVE AN LLC AND THAT DOESN'T HOLD UP IN COURT, THE ONLY PERSON THAT WE HAVE, UM, KNOWLEDGE OF IS YOU.
WHAT ABSOLVES YOU OF THE RESPONSIBILITY IS NAMING THE OWNER IF THE OWNER IS NOT NAMED ON THE ACTUAL OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY.
NOW, WE DID PUT DOWN THAT WE ARE GOING TO, UM, TALK THROUGH MAKING SURE THAT OWNERSHIP IS ON, UM, IN THE LEASING OFFICE OR SOMEWHERE SO THAT WHEN THE INSPECTORS DO GO TO THE PROPERTIES, THEY KNOW WHERE TO FIND ACTUAL OWNERSHIP INFORMATION.
AND IF ANY OF THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THAT RIGHT, WE WANT WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
THEN MAY I SUGGEST THAT YOU ALSO GIVE THE NEW OWNERSHIP THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THE PAST OWNERSHIP TO PAY THAT BILL.
BECAUSE BOY, WERE YOU GUYS KNOCKING ON MY DOOR WHEN I TOOK OVER? BOY DID I PAY THAT BILL PRETTY DAMN QUICKLY, BUT, AND MAN, HAVE YOU GUYS STOPPED COMING OVER? BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST OWNERSHIP? DID YOU KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR JUST AS MUCH? DID YOU HINDER THEIR BUSINESS JUST AS MUCH? DID YOU THREATEN THEM? JUST AS MUCH AS I WAS THREATENED BECAUSE YES, I WAS THREATENED AT THIS NEW PLACE AND I DID NOT PARTICULARLY CARE FOR IT.
ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM WORKING TO BRING AN AREA WHERE THERE'S PROSTITUTES WALKING AROUND AND NAKED.
AND I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS AND RENT IT UP, MAN.
BY THE WAY, GREAT JOB ON THE DRT TEAM OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MAN, YOUR PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN WANNA WALK MY PROPERTY WITHOUT THEM BEING CALLED.
BUT I HAVE TO CONVINCE MY STAFF TO GO OUT AND WALK THE PROPERTY TO MAKE IT BETTER SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
[01:45:01]
WE CALL, BECAUSE THERE'S A SENIOR CITIZEN THAT WAS LOCKED OUT OF A APARTMENT THE NIGHT BEFORE.I HAD TO POST HER ON FACEBOOK TO GET SOMEONE TO GET ME HELP WITH HER.
UM, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY TRY TO HELP WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES.
BUT, UM, CAN Y'ALL MAKE SURE Y'ALL TALK THROUGH THAT NOTICE OF VIOLATION WITH HER AS WELL? ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPERTY OWNER AND PROPERTY MANAGER SITUATION? YES, SIR.
HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? UH, BEN MCFALL WITH THE HOUSTON DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION.
UM, I THINK THIS ALL KIND OF TIES BACK TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME AS WELL.
UM, BY HOLDING PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, UH, LIABLE, IT ALSO DISCOURAGES NEW MANAGEMENT TO COME IN TO TRY AND FIX THESE, THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
SO THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR POINTS OF CONTINGENT.
UM, I DO HAVE A FEW THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT IN THE ORDINANCE THAT I THOUGHT, UH, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS, UM, EXPRESSED TO MAYOR, UH, WHIT MEYER'S ADMINISTRATION AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, BUT THAT I'LL GO ON RECORD HERE AS WELL.
UM, WE DO THINK THAT, AND, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE PUSHED BACK SEVERAL TIMES ON THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP PART BEING IN THERE.
UM, IT'S OUR MEMBERS, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN THERE BECAUSE OFTEN THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP IS KEPT PRIVATE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS PUBLICIZED.
UM, SO HAVING THAT IN THERE, A I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE SELLING PROPERTIES ARE ACTUALLY GONNA COMPLY WITH IT.
UH, BUT ALSO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THAT HAS REMAINED IN THERE.
UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE NEEDED, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE ORDINANCE SAID THAT THE, THE LIST OF HIGH RISK RENTAL BUILDINGS IS GONNA BE MAINTAINED BY THE CITY AND PUBLISHED ONLINE.
SO IT WOULD SEEM TO US THAT THAT WOULD SERVE AS A PUBLIC PLACE FOR A POTENTIAL BUYER TO KNOW THAT A A PROPERTY IS LISTED AS A HIGH RISK RENTABILITY.
SO, SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT WHEN YOU ARE TRANSFERRING THE OWNERSHIP, IF YOU WERE HIGH RISK, YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO BE? I THINK ON RECORD, I THINK IT'S MORE SO THAT IF YOU'RE SELLING A PROPERTY FOR THAT PERSON TO, TO GO AND NOTIFY THE CITY OF A SALE, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY IS NOT, DOES NOT HAPPEN.
TYPICALLY THOSE ARE KEPT PRIVATE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT A PROPERTY'S BEING SOLD TILL WELL AFTER THE PROPERTY'S EVEN SOLD.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU OFFLINE AND, AND TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, ONE OTHER THING I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT MATTERS, BUT IN THE ORDINANCE, UH, TWO THINGS.
ONE, AND I'LL TRY AND BE QUICK.
UM, ONE, THERE IS A, THERE'S A PLACE IN THERE WHERE YOU CAN APPEAL, UM, A DESIGNATION, BUT IT'S ONLY UNDER THE REPEAT, UH, REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT UNDER THE DESIGNATION OF A HIGH RISK RENTAL BUILDING.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S ONLY LISTED UNDER THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A, AN APPEAL PROCESS IN BOTH PLACES.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE I KNOW DUE PROCESS WAS PART OF SOME CONCERNS, UM, I THINK BY THE ADMINISTRATION EARLY ON.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I HAD, I DON'T REMEMBER.
OH, THE TENANT ADVOCACY, UH, WE'RE JUST KIND OF NOT CONCERNED.
WE'RE CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THAT ACTUALLY IS.
WHAT THAT ACTUALLY IS AND YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF VAGUE IN WHAT'S DESCRIBED.
YOU KNOW, IT EVEN SAYS THAT THE CITY IS GONNA PROVIDE ASSISTANCE OF REFERRALS TO TENANTS OF ANY HIGH RISK RENTAL ABILITY REGARDING COMPLAINTS, INSPECTIONS, ANY WORK TO ALTER REPAIR, REPLACE, MAINTAIN.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A WEBSITE THAT THE CITY'S GONNA PUBLISH A BUNCH OF INFORMATION ON.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF NOT SURE WHAT THAT SECTION ACTUALLY MEANS.
WHAT THE TENANT ADVOCACY IS GOING TO ENTAIL.
WHAT THAT SECTION ACTUALLY MEANS AND WHAT IT ENTAILS.
SO SOME, SOME, UH, SOME CLARITY ON THAT AND SOME TRANSPARENCY THAT WE THINK WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I PROMISE, UM, ON THE, UH, BACK TO THE TRANSPARENCY AND KIND OF JUST THE, UM, WE HAVE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IF THE, IF THE CURRENT STANDARDS THAT ARE IN THIS ORDINANCE WERE TO BE APPLIED, SAY WHAT'S THERE RIGHT NOW IN THIS PIECE OF PAPER WHERE TO GO INTO EFFECT, WHAT ACTUAL PROPERTIES WOULD FALL INTO THAT CLASSIFICATION? LIKE I THINK AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE ORDINANCE, IT SAYS THAT LOOKED AT DATA FROM 2023 TO 2024 THAT INDICATED A SMALL DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF NOTICES AND CITATIONS COME FROM A SMALL GROUP, BUT WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT ACTUAL GROUP IS.
AND SO I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR THAT INFORMATION TO KIND OF BE MADE PUBLIC SO THAT WE COULD LOOK AT WHO THESE BAD OFFENDERS ARE AND HOW MANY OF THEM THERE ARE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY DATA ON HOW MANY THERE ARE THAT ARE, ARE BAD ACTORS, BUT THE ORDINANCE, WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE TOP 2025, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST REPORTED, UM, FROM THEIR TENANTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A COMPARISON OF THE LIST AND GO THROUGH WHO OUR TOP 25 OFFENDERS ARE TO KIND OF GET US STARTED WITH COMPLIANCE.
UM, BUT ONCE WE HAVE THE SITE UP,
[01:50:01]
IT'LL HAVE THE LIST OF, UM, OFFENDERS ARE PROPERTIES THAT WE ARE WORKING ON TO GET, UM, THOSE OWNERS INTO COMPLIANCE.SO WE'LL HAVE A SITE WHERE THEY, UM, CAN SEE WHO IS IN THE PROGRAM TO TRY TO BRING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE.
AND I SUGGEST THAT, UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
LEMME PUT THAT ON THERE AND LOOK AT THERE.
SAN ANTONIO HAS A GREAT WEBSITE WITH THAT INFORMATION.
ANY OTHER CONCERNS, COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS? I'VE GOT IT.
INDEX CARD IN IS THE FEEDBACK WE HAVE RECEIVED IS ENSURING THAT PROPERTIES THAT HAVE OVER 50 UNITS BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 10 MILLION IN LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR NEGLIGENCE, UM, FOR NEGLIGENT PROPERTIES.
I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT, THAT'S JUST SOMEBODY SAYING, WE THINK THAT PROPERTIES THAT ARE OVER 50 MILLION SHOULD HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIABILITY INSURANCE, 50 UNITS, 50 UNITS OR MORE.
BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF, UM, 10 MILLION IN LIABILITY INSURANCE.
HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT? THANK YOU.
I AM A, UH, LANDLORD HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME ALSO I'M A CATASTROPHIC PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY.
UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEONE ELSE HAS SIMILAR IDEAS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, DURING THIS TIME PERIOD AND EARLIER WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO BE INTRODUCED TO MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT GET TO BE ABLE IN THIS CYCLE OF BEING ABLE TO, OF ENFORCEMENT TO ACTUALLY GO INTO COMPLIANCE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THOUGH, THE, THE ONE THING THAT I DID NOTE THOUGH IS MANY OF YOUR ABSOLUTE WORST CONTENDERS, UH, PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE CONSISTENTLY CITING THE ONES, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THIS HIGH RISK, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE'RE MISSING A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
PUZZLE IS UNFORTUNATELY IS AT THE TIMES WHEN I STEP IN AFTER THERE'S A CATASTROPHIC DEATH OR LOSS.
UM, MANY OF THE LOCATIONS AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT ARE GOING TO BE LIKELY PUT ON THIS LIST I COULD PROBABLY NAME TO YOU AS I'M THE LEAD ATTORNEY THAT'S SUING MANY OF THEM IN THAT SITUATION.
UM, I MEAN, JUST RECENTLY WE HAD, UH, A LOCATION THAT WAS GETTING FINED VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION.
AND NOW I'M REPRESENTING THE FAMILY OF SOMEONE WHO'S TRAPPED TO DEATH AND BURNS TO DEATH IN THEIR APARTMENT.
UH, THE, THESE ARE THE ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCES WHEN WE DON'T ACTUALLY DO PROPER ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND I THINK YOU GUYS ARE GREAT IN ENFORCING IT, BUT I DID WANNA RAISE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS.
UM, ONE THING THAT I DO SEE IS PEOPLE ARE, UH, THEY'RE GIVING A TON OF CITATIONS TO, TO PROP TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEN IT'S BEING TRANSFERRED OVER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON D OR OTHER COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT TO FILE SUIT AS IN A POTENTIALLY A NUISANCE SUIT.
THOSE SUITS ARE NOT BEING PROPERLY PUSHED THROUGH, UH, THEY'RE BEING FILED, BUT THEN THEY'RE NOT BEING FOLLOWED UP ON AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING, UH, THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY COMING TO COMPLETION.
AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IN SOME OF MY SUIT, UH, SUITS THAT I BRING AGAINST SOME OF THESE PROPERTY OWNERS AND LANDLORDS, UM, THERE ARE PREVIOUS DEON SUITS THAT JUST ARE WHO FILES THOSE WHO, WHO FILED THE ONES THAT DIDN'T GO OUT THROUGH MANY OF THE TIMES AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, I CAN ACTUALLY WORK WITH YOU AND I'D LOVE TO GET YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
I CAN SEND YOU SOME OF THE INFORMATION OF EXACTLY SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN SEEING.
BUT, UM, ONE THING I AM SEEING THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM OF THEY'RE BEING FIND, FIND, FIND, FIND.
IT'S GETTING HANDED OVER TO THE ATTORNEYS TO ACTUALLY FILE A NUISANCE SUIT.
IT'S NOT BEING FOLLOWED THROUGH.
UM, ONE, I MEAN I CAN GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK THEORETICALLY YOU COULD SEE A POTENTIALLY AN ORDINANCE THAT COULD BE ENFORCED PRIVATELY THROUGH PRIVATE FIRMS OR THE CITY ACTUALLY HIRING SOMEONE TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH 'EM.
BUT CURRENTLY WHAT IT'S THE CURRENT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM IS NOT BEING PROPERLY ENFORCED 'CAUSE THEY'RE JUST NOT BEING FOLLOWED THROUGH.
UM, SO THE LAWSUIT IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED THROUGH AFTER THE LAWSUITS ARE NOT BEING AFTER THE YEAH, THEY'RE NOT BEING, TRYING TO GET THEM INTO COMPLIANCE.
THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY SEEING IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND ULTIMATELY WHAT I AM SEEING IS IN SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES, WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS JUST A COMPLETE CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP.
UM, A COMPLETE REMOVAL OF WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT DO NOT CARE ABOUT THINGS GETTING, GETTING PROPERLY HANDLED AND FINISHED.
UM, AND ACTUALLY WITH THAT, ONE THING THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THOUGH WITH THESE HIGH, HIGH, UM, OR THESE HIGH RISK BUILDINGS, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN INCREASE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF INSURANCE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE COVERAGE ON THEIR PO UH, ON THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, I'M GOING INTO THESE PROPERTIES WHERE THEY HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, I, I CAN'T SPECIFICALLY PUBLICLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE NAMES 'CAUSE THERE'S PROTECTIVE ORDERS IN PLACE.
UM, I HAVE, THERE'S APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT HAVE OVER TWO OR 300, UH, UNITS.
[01:55:01]
UM, PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, TRAPPED INSIDE, GETTING BURNED TO DEATH.AND THEN IT'S A 1 MILLION IN COVERAGE FOR THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY.
UM, AND WITH SPLIT AMONG MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT ARE BURNED IN THE, IN THE FACILITY.
UH, AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WOULD BE HIGH RISK.
AND ACTUALLY THE, THE LOCATION I'M THINKING IN QUESTION, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR WHITMEYER CALLED, CALLED IT DEPLORABLE LIVING CONDITIONS SIX MONTHS BEFORE.
AND THEN HERE I AM SIX MONTHS LATER AFTER, UM, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BURNED TO DEATH.
UM, AND THEN ONE THING THAT I DO THINK WOULD BE POTENTIALLY HELPFUL IN BEING ABLE TO SOLVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES BECAUSE THIS IS CONSISTENTLY SOMETHING THAT I WORK WITH WHEN I AM BRINGING SUIT AGAINST THE PROPERTY MANAGERS AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
I DO THINK THAT AN AFFIDAVIT OF OWNERSHIP, UH, WITHIN THE OFFICES, THE LEASING OFFICES SHOWING WHO ACTUALLY OWNS IT ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IN ENFORCING SO THAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHO TO CITE.
UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS' TIME.
I REALLY AM THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS ARE HERE TO DO, UH, TO ENFORCE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, BECAUSE I THINK ULTIMATELY AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S BETTER TO JUST BE ABLE TO BRING SOMETHING IN COMPLIANCE THAN TO ULTIMATELY HAVE THE, UH, SERIOUS SITUATION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I'M CALLED IN.
WE DEFINITELY WANNA, UM, VISIT WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE SUITS AS WELL, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OH, YES MA'AM.
I REPRESENT A, UH, FEE MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT MANAGES EVERYTHING FROM HIGH-END, NEW BUILD, CONSTRUCTION ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND PFCS A LOT OF, ALL DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PROPERTIES.
ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES, AND I HAVE THIS THROUGHOUT THE NATION, BUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UM, TO BRING A PROPERTY UP TO WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE IS WORKING WITH THE TENANTS.
UM, I MEAN, I MUST THE POINT I WOULD LIKE TO BE IN THE OTHER ROOM AND TALK TO THEM AND SEE IF I CAN HELP.
UM, I HAVE A SCENARIO THAT I CAN GIVE YOU A PROPERTY THAT, UM, IT WAS LAST YEAR, ABOUT MID LAST YEAR THAT, UH, HAD AN INSPECTION AND IT IS A HUD PROPERTY.
IT HAD AN INSPECTION AND THEY, THE OWNER CLIENT PERSON CAME AND WALKED WITH THEM AND THEY AGREED, UM, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY, BUT THEY AGREED TO FIND THE FUNDING FOR THE 700,000.
THEY WERE ASKED TO GO AHEAD AND CLEAN FOR THE RESIDENT AND TO DO FULL PEST CONTROL, WHICH IS DONE ON A CLEAN OUT BASIS EVERY QUARTER.
IT'S A MONTHLY PROGRAM, BUT CLEAN OUT IS EVERY QUARTER WHERE IT'S MANDATORY AND THEY CANNOT REFUSE, UH, THE SIDE THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS IS SOME WAY TO HOLD THAT TENANT ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL.
SO OF THE COUPLE HUNDRED UNITS THAT THIS WAS, WE ARE DOWN TO THE LAST PROBABLY 45 RESIDENTS THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE AND CLEAN, REPLACE FLOORING, DO THOSE THINGS.
UH, WE REPLACED SMOKE DETECTORS.
WE'VE REPLACED EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DID, DONE.
WE DID RIGHT THEN AND THERE WHEN THEY WOULD LET US IN.
SO NOW WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON THE THINGS THAT WE NEED CONTRACTORS TO COME IN AND DO.
AND WE CAN'T GET THE TENANTS TO COOPERATE.
THEY DON'T WANT ANYBODY, ANYBODY.
SO IS THERE NOT ANYTHING IN A LEASE? NOW, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN AN APARTMENT IN THE LEASE, IT SAID THAT THE LANDLORD COULD GIVE US 48 HOURS NOTICE TO GO INTO THE PROPERTY.
IS THAT NOT IN A, SO IF, IF I'M, IF I'M THE OWNER AND I NEED TO DO EXTERMINATION, I CAN'T GIVE A TENANT 48 HOURS NOTICE AND THEN GO IN OR YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE REFUSING TO OPEN THE DOOR OR ALLOW YOU INSIDE.
HOW DOES THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, THE LEASE DOES SAY WE HAVE RIGHT TO ENTRY WHEN THE RESIDENT REFUSES TO COOPERATE WITH US.
THEY WON'T LET US MOVE THEIR THINGS.
EVEN IN THE DOOR THREATENING STAFF.
I MEAN, IT, IT CAN GET, WE'VE HAD THE POLICE OUT MANY TIMES AND TO THE, THE POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE SECURITY AND POLICE.
SO, SO IN THAT SITUATION, IF WE ARE CALLED AND THEY HAVE RECORD THAT THE TENANT HAS REFUSED, KIND OF, WE, I MEAN I THINK IT'S ALL GONNA BE CASE BY CASE, BUT ANYTHING YOU CAN SUGGEST WELL, UM, I CAN FROM EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, THAT DOES HAPPEN.
AND WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE TOLD THE TENANTS THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET RESOLVED, YOU HAVE TO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COOPERATE WITH, WITH THE LANDLORD.
UM, OR ONE CASE, THE, UM, THE TENANT TOLD US THAT, UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA LET ANYBODY INTO THE APARTMENT UNLESS WE ARE THERE EACH TIME AND WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE.
AND WE DIDN'T WRITE A CITATION ON THAT BECAUSE THE, THE, THE LANDLORD WAS COMPLETELY WILLING TO ABATE THE PROPERTY, BUT THE TENANT WOULDN'T LET THEM IN.
SO WE ENDED UP WORKING WITH THEM AND THEY, THEY FINALLY AGREED TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT UNIT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE AGREE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT DOES HAPPEN AND AS LONG AS THE, THE
[02:00:01]
LANDLORD IS WILLING TO WORK WITH US, WE'LL WORK WITH THEM AND, UH, SOMETIMES THE, THE TENANTS CAN'T GET OUTTA THEIR OWN WAY.WELL, THE ANSWER WE CAME UP WITH, BECAUSE IT'S A LEGAL ISSUE FOR US, IF THE, IF THEY DON'T COMPLY, IT PUTS IT BACK ON THE PROPERTY.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, Y'ALL WORK WITH US, UH, IN ANOTHER STATE, WE HAD TO LEGALLY GO FILE CEASE AND DESIST, WHICH THERE AGAIN, IT JUST RUNS UP THE BILL TO GO FILE ON, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, 45 RESIDENTS.
UM, SO HAVING SOMETHING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES THE TENANT TO COMPLY OR BE CITED AS WELL WOULD BE HELPFUL.
A LOT OF THESE ARE JUST PURELY, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO HELP THEMSELVES AND THE PROPERTIES AT THAT POINT, WE MOVE INTO TENANT EDUCATION, HOUSEKEEPING, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
BUT WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S A PLUMBING OVERFLOW, BELIEVE ONE OF THE OFFICERS SPOKE ON THAT, IF IT'S A PLUMBING OVERFLOW AND THEY'RE THE ONE CAUSING THE OVERFLOW FROM THE WIPES AND THE THINGS THAT TNA GO INTO THE PIPES AND WE CAN'T STOP THEM.
YOU CAN'T HARDLY GET AN EVICTION ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS IT'S A RENT THING, IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET AN EVICTION.
WELL, ON A HUD PROPERTY, YOU DON'T HAVE A NON RENT SUIT THERE, SO YOU'RE KIND OF TRAPPED.
SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY THE ORDINANCE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THREE TIMES.
WE COULD DOC, WE, WE EITHER TRIED TO PUT, UM, JUST A, A SINGLE LINE RELEASE.
WE REFUSE TO LET YOU IN, SIGN THAT FOR ME AND WE'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE CITY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THE, THAT HAPPENED TO US WAS THE FIRE EXTINGUISH, THE, EXCUSE ME, THE SMOKE ALARMS THAT WE PUT IN FOR THE NEW, NEW REQUIREMENT FOR BUILDING CODE.
THEY WERE IN THE COURTYARD THE NEXT MORNING.
I MEAN, LITERALLY IT LOOKED LIKE THEY ALL GOT TOGETHER AND PITTED THE PLACE WITH THEM AND MEAN THEY YOU INSTALLED, YOU INSTALLED THEM AND THEN THEY TOOK THEM OUT.
THEY THREW 'EM OUT IN THE COURTYARD AND THEN THE, UH, FIRE STOPS THAT ARE REQUIRED, THOSE RUNNERS ABOUT 27 TO 35 BUCKS A PIECE, TWO PER STOVE, AND THEY THREW 'EM OUT IN THE COURTYARD.
WAS THERE ANY FEEDBACK ONTO AS TO WHY THEY, YOU KNOW, WAS IT A BLINKING LIGHT? WAS IT A BEEPING SOUND? THEY DON'T WANT 'EM, WAS THERE ANYTHING, I MEAN, THEY WERE, IT WOULD HAPPEN SO QUICK THAT THERE'S NO WAY THEY WERE WAITING FOR IT TO HAVE GONE OFF.
I MEAN, THEY WERE JUST LIKE, WE'RE NOT PUTTING UP WITH THIS.
SO YOU TAKE, WE DON'T WANT THE FIRE DETECTOR, THE FIRE, THEY DON'T WANT THEM BECAUSE SMOKE ALARM SURE.
BECAUSE THEY GET NOISY IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, COOKING IN INTO THAT REGARD THAT IT'S SMOKING.
BUT, UH, WE'VE USED THE CURRENT ONES THAT ARE THE ION BATTERIES THAT ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO GO IN THERE, OR THE COS THAT ARE REQUIRED CO2 DETECTORS.
SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY THE ORDINANCE COULD POSSIBLY INCLUDE, TALK ABOUT SOME TENANT RESPONSIBILITY, HEY LANDLORD, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO AND WE WILL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT, PARTICULARLY PEST CONTROL, IT'S NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THEM COMPLYING TO GET A BUILDING UNDER CONTROL.
SO PARTICULARLY ON RODENTS AND, AND ROACHES.
AND WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING FROM BOMBING ATTICS AND I MEAN EXTERIOR, EVERYTHING.
AND NOTHING WORKS UNTIL THOSE TENANTS COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH US.
AND WE CALL 'EM RESIDENTS, NOT TENANTS, BUT I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW.
DO, UH, THE, TO THE STAFF, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? NOPE.
ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO NEXT DOOR TO, UM, RECONVENE AND SEE WHAT, UM, CAME OUT OF THE TENANT MEETING AND KIND OF SHARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
AND THEN AGAIN, FOR TIMELINE, THE JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING IS ON MARCH THE 30TH AT 2:00 PM IN CITY HALL CHAMBERS.
AND THEN WE DO EXPECT FOR THE ORDINANCE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL AT 30 DAYS AFTER THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, I THINK YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, GOING TO HAVE A LIST.
SO LIKE IF, UH, I, I, I WORK WITH, UH, ACQUIRING PROPERTIES, UM, AND WILL WE KNOW IF THEY'RE ON THAT HIGH RISK LIST OR, OR WE YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT? THE PLAN IS TO HAVE IT ON THE SITE.
AND ETA, LIKE A MONTH, TWO MONTHS.
IT'S A LITTLE PREMATURE RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, IF WE CAN HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, WE DO WANNA JUST KIND OF DO A FINAL WRAP UP.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I DO WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.
WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME THIS EVENING TO BE HERE.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE MAYOR AND TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE THE PUBLIC.
AND SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY, UM, WE'VE HOSTED THESE TWO MEETINGS.
WE'VE LIVE STREAMED IT, WE'VE TRANSLATED IT.
UM, WE HAVE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK IN ANY VENUES THAT
[02:05:01]
WE CAN.WE'VE ENCOURAGED OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PUT IT IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS.
IF YOU KNOW OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO COME THAT COULD NOT COME, THAT MAY HAVE SOME FEEDBACK.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT INFORMATION TO US.
UM, IN CLOSING, WE WILL HAVE A JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING ON MARCH THE 30TH.
UH, IT'S 2:00 PM AT CITY HALL.
AND THEN 30 DAYS AFTER OUR JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE EXPECT THE ORDINANCE TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL FOR A VOTE.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, IF, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE WORK YOU DID.
JUST REAL QUICK, JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR COMING AND FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES WITH US AND, AND FOR WORKING WITH US TO MAKE THIS THE BEST ORDINANCE IT COULD BE.
I MEAN, Y'ALL, Y'ALL LOOK LIKE Y'ALL WANNA STAY.
Y'ALL HAVE MORE THINGS TO SAY OR WHAT? Y'ALL, Y'ALL DIDN'T GET UP.
WHAT? WHAT IS IT? Y'ALL WANNA STAY? NO.
Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WHERE, ANYWHERE TO GO? NO.
THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE, IS SOMETHING ELSE? ANY ANYTHING ELSE? TACO
WE, WE SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT TACOS.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE'LL DO SOMETHING SPECIAL AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A SNACK AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
WHERE, WHERE CAN YOU GO TO REVIEW THE ORDINANCE? IS IT ONLINE? I KNOW IT'S OUTSIDE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA BE OF ANY HELP TO YOU.
I KNOW YOU CAN TAKE PICTURES OF IT.
THEY BLEW IT UP SO YOU CAN SEE THE ORDINANCE OUTSIDE.
UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ONE ONLINE YET.
WHILE THEY'RE WORKING ON IT, WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON IT, I, I DON'T CAN YOU ADD LAMBDA IF IT'S ONLINE? IF IT'S ONLINE? I KNOW WE, WE GOT AN EMAIL COPY.
RE REACH OUT TO YOUR, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND, AND GET, GET A COPY.
BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY TAKE PICTURES.
AND YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SHARE THAT TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK AS WELL.
AND I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE THERE, THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHAVA, UH, SHABAZZ'S OFFICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER TWILIGHT CARTER'S OFFICE HERE TOO.
Y'ALL DIDN'T WANT, LIKE, Y'ALL DON'T.