HOUSTON – A north Houston homeowner says she’s frustrated and disappointed after the Houston City Council approved a plan that will use stormwater money to tear down abandoned buildings instead of funding drainage projects.
In a 9–7 vote, the council approved spending $30 million from the city’s Stormwater Fund to demolish abandoned structures. Mayor John Whitmire says those demolitions will help reduce illegal dumping, clogged ditches, and flooding.
But residents like Dana Jones say the decision doesn’t address the real problem.
Jones lives in the Melrose Park community near the Hardy Toll Road and says flooding has plagued her neighborhood for years. She shared photos showing standing water throughout the area and says nearly everyone nearby has been impacted. Jones says the issue has already forced some of her neighbors to move away.
“This is where we have to live. And any of my neighbors… Everybody has flooded. The whole neighborhood here has flooded,” she said.
She says the flooding happens even after minor rainfall.
“The least little rain, and it floods. The very least little rain, and it floods. Because the drainage is no good,” she added.
Jones invited KPRC 2 to her neighborhood, pointing out an abandoned home on Foxridge Drive that has been vacant for decades. Surrounding the property is a drainage ditch filled with tall grass, debris, and trash.
When asked if tearing down abandoned homes like this would help with flooding in the area, Jones was blunt.
“This is straight to the bayou, baby. Straight to the bayou,” she said.
Jones says she was angry after learning about the City Council’s decision.
“I’m angry, because today’s vote was a vote saying that flooding in Houston to the nine people that voted for taking this $30 million out of the drainage fund and using it for something else, that said that we don’t believe that flooding is a serious issue,” she said.
She believes the vote delays meaningful solutions for neighborhoods already dealing with flooding.
“And today, they didn’t kick the can; they kicked the whole damn tub. They kicked the tub down the road, because we’re gonna be the ones that suffer,” she said.
Jones says she’s been pushing for real drainage fixes for years and feels residents like her are being ignored.
“I think what’s more important is, let’s do something about the drainage. Do something about the drainage, then we can start working on the structures. But first, cause see my house, yes. But, the first time it floods, I’m gonna be irate. That’s what I’m saying,” she said.
Jones says people often ask why she doesn’t move herself. She says her neighborhood doesn’t have a crime problem, she’s on a fixed income, and she believes residents deserve solutions where they already live.
She also says she appreciates her council member, Mario Castillo, for voting against the plan.
Meanwhile, City Controller Chris Hollins released a statement:
“Today’s vote to misappropriate $30 million from Houston’s Storm Water Fund was deeply disappointing. But let me be clear: seven Council Members chose public trust over political convenience, and that matters.
Flooding is not a theoretical problem in Houston. It’s a lived reality. Every dollar in the Storm Water Fund was promised to one purpose: keeping our streets from turning into rivers when it rains. Diverting those funds breaks that promise.
As the watchdog for Houston taxpayers’ hard-earned money, I won’t stop calling this out. Accountability doesn’t end with a vote, and neither does my responsibility. I will continue fighting to protect this fund, protect Houstonians, and protect the future of our city—even when it’s uncomfortable. The only way to solve our very serious financial challenges is through principled leadership, transparency, and, as we discussed during the Council Meeting, teamwork. We clearly have a long way to go. But these are fights worth having."