Hurricane Harvey Drove Houston’s Undocumented Population Further Underground

"HOUSTON ? Mold had already replaced Hurricane Harvey’s receding floodwaters in the Rockport Apartments when the landlord showed up, residents say. But he wasn’t there to make repairs. He was there to order the tenants to leave ? even though he was still charging them rent.

It took an intervention from Houston housing director Tom McCasland to get the owner to return the money to the residents of this crumbling low-income complex in southwest Houston.

Many said they had nowhere else to go. They had little extra cash, and many lack legal status, making it difficult to find other housing. The owner of the complex, Rukmini Investments LLC, told some tenants they could stay if they signed forms stating that they would not hold the company responsible for any problems, or otherwise risk eviction..."

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