Danielle Husband
A business near a homeless camp in the 3rd Ward received a nasty answer from the city after complaining about feces left near their property.
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Kayla Ramsey spoke with ABC13 eyewitness news about the human waste left near the building where she has her business.
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“Every morning when I come to work, I find it. They leave toilet paper on the ground, next to our cars, and in the back, there are flies all over it. And we have customers who come here,” Ramsey explained.
Homeless people who live in the Wheeler Camp near the building have been leaving their feces in the building’s driveway and near the fence that separates the business from the camp.
Ramsey reported the situation to the health department, expecting the mess to be cleaned up. Instead, she returned to her business to find a notice on her door.
“On Monday, I saw a violation notice on my door, saying we have to remove the feces,” Ramsey told reporters.
The situation has been ongoing for the past two years.
While the citation posted on Ramsey’s business was a warning, it carried a $2,000 fine if the landlord did not double-bag and remove the excrement and then treat the area with lime powder.
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Ramsey believes the citation was unfair.
Houston City Council member Dwight Boykins agrees but says that it’s difficult for the city to do anything about the issue because of an injunction stopping the removal of the homeless individuals who reside in Wheeler Camp.
Earlier this year, the city of Houston ordered homeless living in a Midtown tent city to vacate the area while they cleaned up human waste and other debris in the area.
