City building inspectors on Wednesday issued several safety citations against an East End apartment complex owned by state Rep. Hubert Vo.

The citations to the Courtyard Apartments on Villa de Matel allege eight structural and electrical problems, including rotting wood, missing balcony railings, loose boards and broken windows, city officials said.

"There were the kinds of things you'd see in a building that has not been well-maintained," said Susan McMillian, a senior staff analyst in the city's Public Works and Engineering Department. "It needed more intense maintenance than what had been done."

Homeowners in the nearby County Club neighborhood have complained about the property for years, calling it a visual blight and a magnet for crime.

"It's really a deplorable situation, and the sad thing is that people are actually living there," said Charles Mayfield, a member of the area's Super Neighborhood Council. "It's really disheartening to see, and surprising, to say the least, that anybody — no matter who they are — would let the property get into such a condition."

Vo, a Democrat running for re-election to his southwest Houston seat in the Texas House, has owned the four-building, $2.8 million property under one of his companies, Newlink Investments, Inc., since 2002.

His campaign issued a statement late Wednesday:

"At the property in question, work was started a month ago to correct items the city has concerns about," the statement read.

"The city understands I will make all the necessary repairs because I want my properties to be a safe place for my tenants and an asset to the neighborhood."

Broken windows, missing window screens, wood rot and a parking lot plagued with potholes were among obvious problems visible at the complex Wednesday.

Tenant Victoria Vargas said that when she moved in a year ago, the management refused to replace the tattered mini-blinds, outdated appliances and worn carpet.

Now, she said in Spanish, she also must contend with leaky ceilings, rats and high energy bills for her $400-a-month unit.

"When I moved in, they did not put anything new in," she said.

Luis Lopez, 12, said his family has had to be moved three times in the past five years when their apartments were damaged by rainwater.

Another tenant, Erika Barradas, 11, said she knows her mother feels unsafe in their apartment.

City officials say Vo met with inspectors Wednesday, taking notes and promising to make changes.

"He was very cooperative," McMillian said. "He understands what needs to be done."

City code enforcement officials said they already issued warnings about the problems 10 days ago.

"They had not done a substantial amount of work yet," said Andy Icken, a public works deputy director who supervises code enforcement. "We try to solve the problem."

The action is the latest in what city officials say is a stepped-up effort to enforce building standards at Houston's multi-family housing units.

About a year ago, the city took the unprecedented step of closing the Carter's Grove complex on North Shepherd, citing dangerous conditions, including exposed electrical equipment and raw sewage.

"We have made a business decision in code enforcement that we should be more proactive," Icken said.

Chronicle researcher Joyce Lee contributed to this report.

matt.stiles@chron.com
rosanna.ruiz@chron.com