They’ve lived in their home for nearly 50 years, but they ran into issues when trying to report sidewalk damage they first noticed about five years ago.
HOUSTON — KHOU11 is working to find solutions for a viewer who contacted us about her damaged sidewalk.
Erma Giles reached out after seeing KHOU 11 help another local woman who spent years trying to get her sidewalk repaired. So, we went to work to get her some help.
It’s not where the sidewalk ends, but for five years, it’s been quite shaky outside of Giles and her husband’s home, where they’ve lived for the past 48 years.
“It was in good shape when we first moved here. And as the years went on, and the tree roots started doing whatever, we saw the sidewalk getting worse,” Giles said.
The couple has spent years trying to figure out who to call for help. They have a Missouri City mailing address, but they technically live within Houston city limits.
It’s a similar scenario to our story Monday night on KHOU 11.
“Yesterday, I saw you on television and I said my sidewalk is just as bad,” Giles said.
Giles said she’s felt like she’s gotten the runaround, trying to nail down if she needs to contact the City of Houston, Fort Bend County or Missouri City.
“We’ve been in it. And I’ve been trying for five years. I’ve had wheelchairs that have flipped over, people have fell,” Giles said about the bumpy path.
After we started asking questions on Tuesday, we learned the City of Houston is who to call.
Giles was directed to an application for help under the Houston Public Works Sidewalk Program, which constructs new sidewalks and ramps and improves accessibility for people with disabilities.
The Houston Public Works Sidewalk Program constructs new sidewalks and ramps along streets leading to schools, major thoroughfares and improves accessibility for people with disabilities.
Now, with our help filling out the application, her paperwork is on file and she’s hopeful she’s found the solution for the long-standing sidewalk problem.
“And it’s just the runaround, we don’t know what to do, and especially as seniors. We don’t know when we’re not computer savvy,” Giles said.
If you’re facing similar uncertainty, you should check your county appraisal district website to see if your municipality falls within a city or a county.