HOUSTON – Nearly a year after Hurricane Beryl tore through Houston, a Kingwood home destroyed sits untouched. It’s an issue neighbors say has become a growing safety and health concern.
The Sycamore Springs Drive home was vacated shortly after the hurricane due to its dangerous condition. The roof has collapsed, walls are open to the elements, and, according to residents, it’s attracting rodents and pests.
Pamela Prats, who owns a next-door property, says she’s had to hire exterminators just to protect her property.
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Despite a formal city order in April calling for demolition, city leaders recently reversed course. That decision has left residents like Prats frustrated and confused.
“The city has come out. They’ve turned off the water, the gas, the electricity. The meters are gone,” she said. “They did everything to prep this property for demolition. And Invitation Homes just refuses to do anything.”
Invitation Homes, which owns the property, issued a statement to KPRC 2 saying that demolition permits have now been obtained and cleanup will begin “very soon.”
“We understand the concerns raised by the surrounding community,” the company spokesperson said. “Now that [permits] have been obtained, our team is working to finalize the timeline, and we expect that work will begin very soon.”
The spokesperson didn’t respond to KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun when he asked for copies of when the permits were requested and if they could share a clear timeline.
But neighbors say they’ve been hearing promises for months with no follow-through.
Prats says she’s called both local and corporate offices for Invitation Homes and hasn’t received a single returned call.
She’s not alone in her frustration.
Council Member Fred Flickinger, who represents the district, confirmed that his office has been monitoring the property and supporting nearby residents.
“The Building and Standards Commission voted in April to require the owner to secure and demolish the structure within 15 days of obtaining permits,” Flickinger told KPRC 2. “But when the owner failed to comply, the case was re-evaluated by the Demolition Assessment Panel in June and they chose not to move forward. I disagree strongly with that decision.”
Flickinger says his team has made multiple attempts to contact Invitation Homes but has not heard back. He’s now pushing the City of Houston to step in and demolish the property at the owner’s expense.
For neighbors like Prats, she’s baffled by the inaction.
“Everybody that I’ve talked to is on our side,” said Prats. “But we don’t have the power. Somebody in the city has the power to enforce this and they’re just not doing it.”
The city’s Department of Neighborhoods issued a statement saying it continues to monitor the property and is “committed to ensuring public safety.” According to the department, although demolition was initially recommended, the panel later decided not to move forward.
“…the Demolition Assessment Panel … convened to assess the situation and disapproved the demolition at this time,” the department’s statement read.
Flickinger said the reversal came because the board didn’t feel Invitation Homes had enough time to complete the demolition.
“When the property owner failed to comply with the order given by the BSC it went before the Demolition Assessment Panel on June 2nd and the Panel voted to not move forward with demolition because their view was the owner wasn’t given adequate time to comply, which I disagree strongly with,” the council member said.
Adding to the frustration: hurricane season is here again.
“It’s a lot more serious than just removing this property,” Prats said. “If a hurricane comes through here again, and those projectiles start flying through this neighborhood … it’s not an exaggeration. This is the result of a hurricane. And it could happen again.”
Despite repeated 311 complaints, emails to city council, and participation in public meetings, neighbors say they still feel ignored.
“We’re doing everything we possibly can as citizens,” Prats said. “But nothing’s happening.”
Council member Fred Flickinger statement:
“Rilwan,
My office has been monitoring the property closely since it was severely damaged as a result of Hurricane Beryl. Over the course of the past 11 months, it has gone through the specified process for Dangerous Buildings according to Chapter 10 in our City Ordinances. This property went before the Building and Standards Commission (BSC) on April 16, 2025 which my Chief of Staff attended and made sure neighbors who live near this home attended virtually as well. The BSC voted to require the property owner to secure the property within 15 days, obtain permits within 15 days, and demolish the building within 15 days of obtaining permits. When the property owner failed to comply with the order given by the BSC it went before the Demolition Assessment Panel on June 2nd and the Panel voted to not move forward with demolition because their view was the owner wasn’t given adequate time to comply, which I disagree strongly with. Regardless, my office is doing everything we can from our end to ensure this is addressed as soon as feasibly possible whether it be the City of Houston demolishing the house or the property owner. My office has tried to reach the individual at Invitation Homes responsible for this property and have not received any call backs. Therefore, we continue to push the City to move forward with demolition."
Invitation Homes statement:
“Invitation Homes is committed to being a responsible neighbor and providing outstanding service to our residents. The home in question sustained significant damage during Hurricane Beryl, and we understand the concerns raised by the surrounding community. As is standard with major construction projects, we had to wait for the required approvals and permits before moving forward with plans to safely demolish the property. Now that those have been obtained, our team is working to finalize the timeline, and we expect that work will begin very soon.”
Houston Department of Neighborhoods statement:
The Department of Neighborhoods has been carefully monitoring the property at 3034 Sycamore Springs Drive, which was initially found to be a vacant residential structure with a collapsed roof and an accumulation of trash and debris. An emergency demolition request was submitted early in the process but was ultimately denied. Subsequent inspections, including both checkback and pre-hearing assessments, consistently confirmed that no improvements had been made. Despite the property owner’s request for additional time to address the noted violations and a formal hearing that followed—with a Building and Standards Commission Order subsequently posted—the condition of the property remained unchanged.
In a recent review meeting, the Demolition Assessment Panel (DAP)—the body responsible for evaluating whether a property should be demolished—convened to assess the situation and disapproved the demolition at this time. The department remains committed to ensuring public safety and will continue to pursue all necessary legal and regulatory measures to secure compliance and protect the community.
