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| Mayor Annise Parker and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (18th Congressional District) |
-- Quarterly neighborhood cleanup projects target properties with nuisance violations
Houston Mayor Annise Parker was joined recently by civic leaders and residents in Near Northside for the City’s second Make Safe Saturday, a quarterly neighborhood cleanup initiative. Launched in March 2013, the program targets properties with city code violations for which the owners have received notices and have failed to take action to correct the problems.
“One way to make our neighborhoods safer and cleaner is to remove blighted properties that are not only eyesores but also harbor crime and vagrancy,” said Mayor Parker. “This initiative is a call to action to do all that we can to remove the hazards that threaten public safety and improve the living environment in our neighborhoods.”
“The Make Safe Saturday initiative is a positive step in our continued efforts to clean up our neighborhoods,” said Ed Gonzalez, City Council member for District H. “I believe that an active community is a safe community. Clearing these lots sends a message that we take pride in our neighborhoods and will work together to make them beautiful and keep our citizens safe.”
During the first Make Safe Saturday in March, City crews and community volunteers cleaned and secured 96 blighted properties. This second quarter effort will target 55 more dangerous and abandoned properties located in six City Council districts. The work will include the removal of trash and debris, boarding up of abandoned properties, graffiti abatement and mowing. The projects will be completed by mid-July.
“We’re happy to see the City’s proactive approach to helping neighborhoods address dilapidated properties,” said Diana Lerma, Northside Village Super Neighborhood advisory board member. “The property at 2022 Gano has been a top priority for our Super Neighborhood and we are relieved to see it cleaned up and secured. Working together we are tackling issues of greatest concern to our families.”
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| The next Make Safe Saturday is scheduled for September 2013. Donations of supplies and materials by local businesses are welcome. For more information, contact Andrea Jackson-Taylor at cleanup.don@houstontx.gov or 832.394.0660. |
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| Make Safe Saturday is an initiative of Inspections and Public Service (IPS), a division of the City’s Department of Neighborhoods. To learn about IPS services and year-round community cleanup campaigns, visit www.houstontx.gov/ips. |
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| Mayor Annise Parker hard at work on "Make Safe Saturday". |
