Message from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez – Meet Our Boarding Home Detail

For many of our struggling neighbors, boarding homes are a last resort to avoid homelessness. These residential facilities can be a viable, low-cost housing option for the working poor, elderly, disabled, and those with mental health issues. A properly run boarding home offers community, safety, and shelter to people in need.

The state defines boarding homes as facilities housing at least three people who are disabled or elderly and not related to the owner. The homes offer basic services to the tenants but do not administer the same level of care provided by state-licensed assisted living facilities.
Although our region has a reputation for housing affordability, there are still housing challenges and a need to provide more affordable housing opportunities. We need boarding homes, so we must work to make sure they’re safe.

Over the past year, the discovery of boarding homes with deplorable living conditions and rampant exploitation and neglect motivated state legislators and county officials to crack down on violators and take a closer look at boarding home regulations beyond the city.

Earlier this year, Texas lawmakers passed boarding home reform bills that enhance the penalty for operating a home without a permit to a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail or a $2,000 fine. It also included a measure that created a Class A misdemeanor for failing to report abuse in a boarding home. The new laws take effect on Sept. 1.
In March, Harris County Commissioners Court approved regulations that require a permit to operate a boarding home in unincorporated areas. In response to the mandated occupancy restrictions, background checks, and annual safety inspections, the Sheriff’s Office formed a Boarding Home Detail to serve as the permit administrator for the county. It’s the first of its kind for our agency.

Our Boarding Home Detail proactively identifies, permits, and addresses any ongoing issues associated with boarding homes throughout Harris County. The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office inspects the homes before the permits are granted.

“We’re doing all we can to ensure the boarding home facilities receive a permit and are in compliance by September,” said Deputy Investigator Lowry, one of two investigators assigned to the Boarding Home Detail. “We’re sharing the state model standards, providing mock inspections, and educational touchpoints.”

“The first step is contacting the homes to see if they meet the definition of a boarding home. Then we work with them to get them permitted. At the end of the day, these facilities are providing some of our most vulnerable neighbors with a home. We just want to ensure that every operator has the well-being and safety of its residents in mind.”

Sgt. Tschudy, who leads the newly formed investigative team, says the detail initially identified more than 100 facilities that may fall under the state’s definition of a boarding home through research, reviewing reports, and outreach. After further research, BHD says there are about 60 boarding homes that will all need a permit by the time the law takes effect.

The detail has two dedicated deputy investigators who work collaboratively with our Crimes Against Elderly and Disabled Unit to target crimes of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. They also partner with the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, Texas Adult Protective Services, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and other public safety entities. We also serve as part of a multi-disciplinary team called the Senior Justice Assessment Center to provide services to seniors through assessments, treatment referrals, and education to address the unique needs of elder abuse.

Before the regulations, it wasn’t uncommon for our deputies to learn about a boarding home and the conditions in them during a call for service. Left unchecked, the residents in these homes can find themselves living in difficult circumstances.

Many of the new regulations address the general condition of the homes – from fixing appliances that don’t work to providing sufficient space for residents to secure their clothing and personal belongings. As part of this permitting process, owners, staff, and volunteers register with the county and undergo criminal background checks.

Deputy Investigator Lowry added, “We’re walking them through the online permitting process and using the Texas Boarding Home model standards as a guide for what we inspect for and what is required. It’s a time-consuming process with many parts, but we are taking the boarding home operators through every step.”

“We’re also talking to the residents that live in these homes about their experiences. We want them to feel like it’s their home. That’s the goal.”

We’re proud to take a holistic enforcement approach to these regulations. For more information about our newly formed Boarding Home Detail, visit our website here.

Read More…