HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Renters in one east Harris County apartment complex are weighing their legal options over what community activists are calling “inhumane” living conditions.
They say renters at the City Crossing apartment complex have been dealing with mold, no air conditioning, and rodents.
Activists said they've gotten around 10 complaints at just this one complex, but said it's far from the area's only problem spot. They plan to visit one complex a week until the problem gets solved.
“Every time that we come out here, I’m going to have Lone Star Legal Aid to accompany me so we can ensure these tenants can receive free legal representation because they should not be living like this,” said community activist Candice Matthews with the Rainbow Push Coalition.
“I pay my rent on time. I have never been late," said City Crossing resident Shena Goodman. "I have zero lease violations. I go to work, I do what I got to do. We’re not lousy, we’re not loud, we’re not noisy. We don’t do anything wrong.”
Goodman said after an upstairs water leak a month ago caused mold, she tried repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, to get the front office to fix the problem.
Goodman said there are other unsanitary issues she and her sick husband are dealing with.
“The garbage disposal, my sink, and my dishwasher fill up with all of their trash quite often,” she said pointing up.
Meanwhile, in another building, residents said they've been having problems too.
“They won’t fix anything," resident Mara said. “Yeah, you can smell the mold when you come in. We had sewage problems coming up from the sink since November. So, we would have sewage water coming up, and it would cause a massive overflow and flooding.”
Mara and her roommates said they’re moving out in three weeks once their lease ends, but those with more time left and less flexibility said they're still waiting for help.
“I just want to be able to come home to a safe home environment," Goodman said.
A woman who identified herself as the property manager told KHOU 11 that a contractor was scheduled to cut out the sheetrock in Goodman's apartment on Friday.
The manager also said she asked activists to give her the unit numbers so she could see why the work hasn’t been completed.