EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A Northeast El Paso home that generated years of complaints from neighbors and dozens of calls for service has been demolished, bringing relief to residents who said they had been waiting years for the property to come down.

City of El Paso crews demolished the condemned home on Wickham Avenue Thursday.

Neighbors gathered outside with coffee and doughnuts as they watched crews tear down the structure, which residents had associated with squatters, suspected drug activity, trash and other safety concerns.

“We had a problem with homeless people and squatters, drugs,” one neighbor said. “You couldn’t walk down the street without looking behind your back.”

KFOX14/CBS4 previously reported that, as of Feb. 10, the property had been tied to 65 911 calls since December 2023 and 27 311 calls since August 2021.

Calls ranged from complaints about trash and overgrown weeds to reports involving domestic disturbances and assault.

Neighbors previously told KFOX14/CBS4 they had been harassed by people living at the home and that some residents were afraid to walk down their street.

“For six years, we’ve had this problem on and off, on and off,” one neighbor said Thursday. “The police would be across the street three to four times a day.”

Steve Alvarado, the City of El Paso’s code enforcement director, said the city must follow a legal process before taking action that results in the demolition of private property.

“Anytime we’re going to take away someone’s property, we need to make sure we follow all legal avenues,” Alvarado said, adding that the process includes giving a property owner time to rehabilitate the structure.

Alvarado said the city was notified on Jan. 27, 2026, beginning the process that eventually resulted in the demolition.

“It is a long process, but we have to make sure we give due process to each and every property owner in the city,” Alvarado said.

According to Alvarado, the process took just under seven months and included giving the property owner an opportunity to respond.

Neighbors say demolition brings relief, for residents who said they spent years dealing with problems surrounding the property, watching the house come down marked the end of a long fight.

“It took a load off my chest to see that house gone,” one neighbor said. “That makes a big difference.”

WATCH:

House demolition on Wickham Avenue (credit: KFOX14/CBS4)

Neighbors said they are already noticing a change in the atmosphere along the street.

“We haven’t seen this in such a long time, people wanting to go out again,” one neighbor said.

Residents said they hope removing the home will also put an end to the safety concerns they associated with the property and allow the neighborhood to move forward.

RELATED: Northeast El Paso home condemned after years of neighbors’ complaints

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