Mayor Whitmire says this is “just the beginning.” Houston is launching a sweeping effort to tear down more than 2,000 dangerous properties.
HOUSTON — Houston leaders launched a new “Demolition Days” initiative Friday, starting with a longtime abandoned home in Kashmere Gardens.
City leaders said dangerous properties like the home on Kashmere Street attract illegal dumping and contribute to drainage problems in nearby neighborhoods.
The city is using $30 million from Houston’s stormwater fund for the demolitions, a decision that drew criticism from some council members and the city controller, who questioned whether the money should strictly go toward drainage infrastructure projects.
Mayor John Whitmire again defended the effort Friday.
“There’s much more than just knocking down this building,” Whitmire said. “It’s a message that this neighborhood is important, that every community in the city of Houston is important.”
Neighbors who live nearby said the property had been a problem for years.
“Yes, ma’am, it gives a lot of hope,” resident Shanta Wyatt shared with KHOU 11’s Michelle Choi. “One time it flooded so bad we had to swim to the other side, so I think it’s a good idea to get rid of it.”
Wyatt said people often dumped furniture and other trash near the property.
Another longtime resident, Alfred Alvarado, said he had mixed feelings.
“I hate to see the house being demolished,” Alvarado said. “I was hoping they auctioned off and restored it instead of tearing it down.”
Still, Alvarado said he understood why it had to happen.
“It’s gotta go,” he said.
District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson, who KHOU 11 previously spoke with in November during coverage of illegal dumping concerns in Houston’s Fifth Ward, supported using the stormwater funds for the effort.
“I know when we have abandoned homes standing in our neighborhoods, it attracts illegal dumping,” Jackson said. “The illegal dumping is in the ditches. The ditches is where the water is not flowing, which causes flooding.”
Whitmire said more than 2,000 dangerous properties remain logged across Houston. The city plans to demolish seven more structures Saturday with help from contractors through the Houston Contractors Association.
“We came together — the private and public sector — to improve the quality of life of Houstonians,” Whitmire said. “This is just the beginning.”
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include the best way to reach you.