Residents of two Harris County apartment complexes are at their wits’ end over severe neglect by their property managers, with legal threats and a county lawsuit bringing to light the substandard living conditions. In the Enclave at Lake Pointe in Humble, tenants are fed up with unresolved issues ranging from mold inside apartments to security concerns with continuously open gates, as reported by FOX 26 Houston.
Over at the Palms on Rolling Creek, the situation is arguably more dire, with hazardous E. coli levels found around the complex. "We're talking about fecal matter with E. coli levels so high that it's basically the same as if it were in the toilet," Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee was quoted in a Houston Public Media report. Residents began lodging complaints about this sewage nightmare as early as 2019, and the county has since taken legal action.
At the Enclave, residents like Naomi Long-Williams are considering moving out due to the lack of responsiveness from the management. "It's forcing me to move. I'm on my way out," she told FOX 26. A fellow resident, Frida MacBride, expressed her exasperation with the ongoing negligence, "I'm just tired. I'm tired of talking and nothing's being done."
Elderly and disabled individuals make up many of the Enclave’s tenant population, and safety is a growing concern. In her interview, Margie Butler voiced her unease to FOX 26, "Vandalizing of vehicles and broken cars, strange people walking in here, we have gates, no security, and I’m very concerned about that." A petition has been started by the residents in hopes that it will prompt the management to take action.
The legal moves by Harris County reflect a broader issue identified by Attorney Menefee, where property owners disregard their tenants' safety. He has observed a pattern of negligence in the past few years and is committed to ensuring that residents live in a healthy environment. The struggles of the residents at both complexes shed light on the wider challenges facing underserved communities, with data indicating that approximately 22% of households in the zip code of the Palms on Rolling Creek live below the poverty level.
Action from the county, coupled with the threats of legal recourse by the residents, may finally compel property managers to address the unacceptable living conditions. As of the reporting, neither complex's management had provided a response to these allegations and complaints.
