Residents of Cullen Park blasted management over severe infestation and other issues.
HOUSTON — Residents at the Cullen Park Apartment Complex in Sunnyside confronted building management Tuesday night over a severe rat infestation and multiple safety hazards that have plagued the property for years, prompting intervention from city officials and housing inspectors.
The meeting came after troubling video footage exposed the extent of the rodent problem at the complex, where rats are active during daylight hours and have built extensive networks of holes. Children were seen playing nearby. The infestation represents what residents describe as just “the tip of the iceberg” of problems at the property.
During the closed-door meeting with management, residents raised complaints about mold contamination and other health hazards in addition to the rat problem. Management announced that “unit inspections will begin on Wednesday,” according to video shared by residents who attended the meeting.
Houston City Council member Carolyn Evans Shebazz said Housing and Urban Development inspectors will visit the complex on Monday to assess conditions. She emphasized the severity of the health risks facing residents.
“I don’t care where they live, where they’re from, their color, their creed their religion. They breathe out and they breathe in, and what they’re breathing in these units can damage their health irreparably,” Evans Shebazz said.
The situation has created emergency conditions for some families. Adrian Jackson reported that his daughter and her six children are living in a unit where power was cut off last week by the fire department due to faulty wiring, leaving them in dangerous heat with no alternative housing options.
“I understand the rats and everything but this is an emergency. She’s got six babies in the heat, and the fire department saying that she’s got to get out,” Jackson said, describing the unit as having visible mold and unbearable conditions. “It’s hot in there right now, it’s mold, you can smell the mold, it’s miserable.”
Evans Shebazz accompanied Jackson to meet with complex managers to seek assistance for his daughter’s family.
One resident expressed frustration with the living conditions, saying: “You can’t have mold in the walls and rats running around and this that this is the way that people deserve to live.”
Residents say they regret that it took viral video of the rodent infestation to bring attention to problems they’ve been reporting for years. It remains unclear whether management will follow through on promises made during Tuesday’s meeting.
Housing experts advise tenants facing similar issues to document all complaints with certified letters to hold landlords accountable. This documentation can help tenants break leases or file lawsuits if problems aren’t addressed. However, experts warn against stopping rent payments, as this could lead to eviction.