Greenspoint Apartment Complexes Getting Back To Normal But Some Challenges Remain

Progress can be seen in the apartment complexes located in the Greenspoint area that were flooded last month.

City of Houston workers, along with contractors hired by the complexes, have cleaned up most of the debris and the Greenspoint District, which is one of the entities coordinating the recovery process, says they are now in the next phase.

"We’ve got nine of the 17 or so impacted complexes that are somewhere in the permitting process with the City of Houston. City of Houston’s Public Works and Engineering Department has expedited that process for them so that they can get their permits, get to work and get these units back up and running," notes Greg Simpson, president of the Greenspoint District.

"We’re making good progress, everybody is cooperating and trying to do what’s best for the area to recover," Simpson adds.

Despite the progress, some residents are concerned about the mold that may have accumulated in some apartments that got flooded.

The Woods of Greenbriar is one of the apartment complexes undertaking repairs.

Esperanza Ruiz lives there and her unit is slowly getting better.

For instance, the carpet and the sheet rock have already been removed, although she says her husband had to do much of that work himself because they didn't want to wait too long.

However, Ruiz is eight months pregnant and she is concerned about the possibility of mold not being properly and fully cleaned up and particles from uncovered layers of insulation still flying around her apartment by the time her daughter is born.

"I’m worried about that they don’t finish the work in the time," says Ruiz.

The group Texas Organizing Project has asked owners of the area's apartment complexes to finish the repairs this month and not charge May's rent to tenants impacted by the floods.

In the case of the Woods of Greenbriar, the owner has applied a 25 percent discount to this month's rent.