A mother living at La Armada II Apartments on South Port Ave. claims her apartment is infested with rats and has been for years.
Samantha Hoke-Perez says rats have eaten through her couch, clothing, and doors. Hiding food is nearly impossible.
“They’re eating through the containers,” says tenant Samantha Hoke-Perez.
Hoke-Perez says she has used poison, placed traps, even filling the holes with foam, yet nothing has worked.
Her biggest concern is the health of her sons.
“Rats carry diseases,” says Hoke-Perez. “I live here with two children.”
The apartments are a part of government housing, where low-income families pay a percentage of their income, the government covers the rest.
“Just cause I live in housing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of your tenants,” says Hoke-Perez.
The Corpus Christi Housing Authority who manages the complex says they have not received any complaints of rodents.
Hoke-Perez claims she has made several reports.
“I go to the office or I call and no one comes out,” says Hoke-Perez.
CCHA CEO Gary Allsup says pest-control conducts quarterly inspections.
“If the exterminating company is seeing something, they very well may say to us, we need to do ABC, and we will,” says CCHA CEO Gary Allsup.
Samantha says pest-control is aware. They left notes in December regarding the rats, but have not fixed the problem.
“My kids should be able to come into the kitchen and get something to eat or get something to drink and not have to worry about catching some disease from a rat, multiple rats,” says Hoke-Perez.
Allsup says they will be sending a crew to inspect and resolve the problem.
