TEXAS, USA — Wednesday afternoon Senator Paul Bettencourt held a Senate Committee on Local Government on the topic of squatters.
Invited and public testimony on Secure Texas Against “Squatters" was heard by senators Bob Hall, Tan Parker, Angela Paxton and Royce West.
Two people from San Antonio joined the conversation and detailed the time when the home they were renovating was taken by the man they had hired to help rebuild. They state the man started living there and locked them out.
"They damage your property and they walk away scot free," the one woman from San Antonio said while testifying.
Others joined her in detailing how people have come in, taken their property, locked them out, damaged their good, ruined their homes and even sold their property for drugs.
Bettencourt along with the other senators were in disbelief.
"People can still lose their homes to squatting in the state of Texas and that’s gotta stop," Bettencourt said.
Other testimony came from experts and a representative from the Houston police department.
Senators mauled over how this intricate issue can be resolved. The consensus is action needs to be taken in the next legislative session and a new law needs to be drawn up to prevent this and protect property owners.
A local perspective
This meeting comes on the heels of the most recent vacant house fire in San Antonio on Tuesday.
Fire crews responded to a structure fire on the 1700 block of Center Street just before 1 p.m.
Fire officials said a vacant home which is known to be a center of homeless activity caught on fire. They believe the fire started in the back exterior of the home.
Firefighters said the fire did spread to a next door house. The residents of that home were not inside during the time of the fire.
The owner of the second house, Arturo Campos told KENS 5 at the scene the fire was only minutes from taking over his whole home.
"The fire was so intense that it did a lot of damage to my house...windows were broken...all the siding was burned off," Campos said.
Fire crews extinguished the fire within 10 minutes of arrival. Officials say 6 units responded.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
This is one of many vacant house fires happening across the city. Code Enforcement with the city said since Oct. of 2023 their teams have responded to 961 calls related to vacant homes just within District two.
Right now neighbors and legislators are noticing change needs to be made to protect the home owners, property owners and neighborhoods of Texas.