City begins task force on boarding house oversight

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The city of Houston has begun its task force on boarding house oversight, the mayor announced.

Two people died inside the Briscoe's Place boarding house, 4528 Griggs, in March.

Sandra Bruner and Gregory Crawley were both found dead inside the 20-room boarding house.

A task force comprised of several city departments met Tuesday to discuss implementing new oversight rules for an industry that currently has nearly none.

Houston's boarding houses serve the lowest-income citizens but have little to no protection to ensure safety measures are followed by those running the boarding houses.

No one city department is in charge of regulating boarding houses. At least four city departments have rules regarding them, but an ABC13 investigation reveals even if you don't meet all those rules, you can still open for business.

Mayor Turner said he instructed staff to see what other cities are doing to "streamline oversight".

"I am expecting some definitive recommendations that the city can implement that will help the health and welfare of everyone," Sylvester said.

Arson investigators continue to look for the cause of the fire. The medical examiner's reports are also pending.

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