Revered 80-year-old resident to be evicted by Houston Public Housing

Image 1 of 4

An 80-year-old woman, revered by fellow residents in the public housing development where she lives, is being evicted for alleged rule breaking.

Bobbie Figures has made the Forest Green Community much more than her home for the past 18 years. Its well being has been her mission.

"I'm the resident council president and I've been on the board since 2004," said Figures.

You see, when things go wrong and stay that way, residents come to Figures who knows her way around the Houston Housing Authority where she also serves as a volunteer Commissioner.

"I know people at Housing. I can call and get work done. I don't care what it was and there wasn't nothing too big or too little to ask for and I always provided them with it," said Figures.

It's the kind of advocacy the 80-year-old says eventually sparked the anger of management which has since alleged she allowed unauthorized family members to reside in her unit.

Figures claims the retaliatory charges are totally trumped up.

"My grandson, no. He has never lived here," said Figures who also says she's had a long term separation from her husband who resides in San Antonio, and not in her home.

Even though multiple neighbors have confirmed her innocence, neither the Houston Housing Authority nor Judge Mike Parrott seemed to care, citing in court documents two family members who listed the home as their permanent address.

They've ordered the octogenarian evicted.

"They going to throw me out," says Figures who lives in the town home unit with her daughter.

Constables are set to remove both her and her belongings Sunday.

"I don't know what to do. I guess I'll be out on the street," said Figures.

Community activist Gerry Monroe calls it a travesty.

"You have an 80-year-old African American woman who has not violated any policy or procedures or anything and now all of a sudden you want throw her out. For what reason?," said Monroe.

Fox 26 alerted State Representative Senfronia Thompson about the impending eviction.
Thompson immediately dispatched a letter to Judge Parrott requesting a re-hearing because Figures was not represented by an attorney and did not understand the proceedings.

The Houston Housing Authority issued the following statement from its Chairman Lance Gilliam:

"Ms. Figures is a valued member of our Board of Commissioners.  In that context, my fellow commissioners and I consider her a friend.  Out of respect for our residents’ privacy, our authority is not at liberty to discuss Ms. Figures’ or any other residents relationship with our authority.  However, additional information about the matter of current concern is available in the public record including those related to recent proceedings in Justice of the Peace Michael Parrott’s court.  Lance Gilliam, Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Houston Housing Authority"

Court records obtained by Fox 26 indicate Figures is accused of allowing her husband and two grandsons to reside in the town home without authorization.

Figures' next door neighbor told Fox 26 all the allegations made by the Housing Authority are false.