Westside homeowners meet with city officials about havoc created by apartment complexes

HOUSTON - District G Councilmember Mary Nan Huffman told the crowd of more than 100 this is not a problem that can be solved overnight, but she's making headway.

What they're saying:

"I think we've done a good job at attacking this problem a bunch of different ways through the health department, through permitting, funding HPD overtime," said Huffman.

In an only on FOX report last month, we told you what homeowners living nearby are so concerned about.

An argument prompts a hail of gunfire from a machine gun. You can also see kids riding bikes as bullets fly.

This year alone, some 700 911 calls were made at the complexes at 1251 Wilcrest and 1445 Lakeside Estates. The calls dealt with murder, human trafficking, aggravated assault, and rape.

Three murders have happened this year at the Wilcrest Drive location.

The complexes offer affordable housing, which makes them tax exempt, something Huffman and others are hoping to change.

The complexes have a number of city ordinance violations.

Arrest warrants have been filed against out-of-state owners.

The other side:

FOX 26 reached out to The Estates at Avanstar. We received the following statement from Edwin Smith, who is the Regional Supervisor overseeing the community:

"To provide context, the property came under new ownership and management on September 3rd, 2025, through a foreclosure process. This was not a typical takeover. At the time of transition, we received no resident files, no maintenance records, and no reporting on existing conditions. The entire on-site team had been let go by the previous ownership and management, leaving the property completely unmanned. In fact, I even had to call out a locksmith just to gain entry into the leasing office when we first arrived.

Since that time, I have worked to rebuild the operations from the ground up:

• Staffing: As of two weeks ago, the property is now fully staffed with a dedicated management and maintenance team.
• Resident Outreach: I personally went door-to-door and posted notices on every unit with my personal contact information, ensuring residents had direct access to me. I responded seven days a week, including weekends, and dispatched vendors as needed. Today, I have multiple residents who can attest to the improvements we’ve made and the positive changes they’ve experienced.
• City Violations: All City of Houston inspectors have been followed up with directly. I can provide you the business cards of each inspector to confirm the violations have been addressed. For further insight into why these violations were not resolved under the prior ownership, you may wish to reach out to the previous manager, TJ, who is still employed by the previous ownership and currently working at Latitude Apartments, located just one mile down the road.
• Physical Improvements: Upon takeover, all three pools were green, boilers had been stolen from the boiler rooms, and many residents were experiencing severe water intrusion. Within three days, we reinstated temporary boilers at our own expense, and to date, we’ve spent over $300,000 replacing the systems. A permanent boiler has already been installed in the first boiler room, and the second permanent boiler is scheduled to be installed this Tuesday. Today, all pools are clean and blue, and major resident issues are being resolved.
• Vendor Engagement: We have already brought out multiple vendors to assess and address major projects. I have proposals, invoices, and supporting documentation available to demonstrate the work that has been completed and the ongoing commitment to fully restoring this community.

As you may know, Tarantino Properties specializes in distressed assets—foreclosures, bankruptcies, mortgage defaults, and receiverships. By the time we assume management, the property is already in a distressed state. Our role is to stabilize, reposition, and turn these communities around, which is exactly what we are doing at The Estates at Avanstar.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly and provide you with any documentation, proposals, or resident testimonials you may need. My goal is to ensure you have an accurate and complete picture of the progress that has been made since takeover. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at your convenience.

Thank you for your time and for your interest in the community."