Council members Tiffany Thomas and Martha Castex-Tatum are looking to hold two town halls in the upcoming weeks to discuss a topic Houston City Council has been debating since mid-2025—a high-risk apartment inspection program.
In case you missed it
During a Proposition A committee meeting in May, former City Council member Letitia Plummer proposed an ordinance that would strengthen enforcement and inspection of apartments with unsafe environments.
The proposed ordinance would create a high-risk apartment inspection program that would require properties with 10 or more habitability citations within 12 months to register as a “high-risk rental building.” The properties would also have to undergo mandatory inspections, face misdemeanor fines and could lose their certificate of occupancy if violations persist.
At the time, Plummer said that the purpose of the ordinance is to protect residents from “substandard and dangerous housing conditions.”
The timeline
The Prop A committee unanimously approved the proposed ordinance in May, which sent it through for legal review and potential changes, according to previous Community Impact coverage.
It was intended to receive a vote from City Council in June. However, the ordinance did not reappear on the council agenda again until November. On Nov. 5, City Council tabled the item as several council members said the proposal “lacks proper enforcement measures.”
The item was then discussed during the Dec. 10 meeting, but was ultimately delayed again as council members decided to continue fine-tuning the program in a joint committee meeting.
The Economic Development and Housing and Affordability committees will review the program, with the anticipation that it will be placed on the City Council agenda within 30 days of the committee review. As of early 2026, a joint committee meeting has not yet been set.
Get involved
Council member Thomas, who voted in favor of the ordinance, said in a Feb. 9 news release that passing the ordinance is “critical” to improve housing standards, protect tenant health and preserve Houston’s housing stock.
“We are committed to getting this right for Houstonians by listening to their concerns,” she said. “Meaningful community engagement is essential to shaping an ordinance that truly reflects the needs of our residents.”
Castex-Tatum, another supporter of the ordinance, said that she wants to strengthen the initiative through public feedback.
“Listening to our community ensures this ordinance reflects not just good intentions, but the voices of those it impacts most,” she said in the release.
The two town hall meetings will be open for tenants, landlords, property managers and stakeholders. The events will will occur as follows:
Feb. 19: 6-8 p.m. at the Alief Neighborhood Center, 11903 Bellaire Blvd., HoustonMarch 5: 6-8 p.m. at the Harris County Department of Education, 6300 Irvington Blvd., HoustonBoth meetings are anticipated to be streamed on HTV for virtual viewing, with both meetings translated in Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese.
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