In Houston, a Mexican-American community is expressing deep frustration as developers propose transforming traditional single-family homes into sleek townhomes and condos.

Residents of Denver Harbor, a neighborhood with a rich history, are leveraging an old city ordinance to prevent investors from constructing uniform rental properties that they believe disrupt the area’s character.

Delphina Torres, now 59, has called the same residence home since she was a child. Her porch serves as a spot for cracking pecans, while her backyard garden yields fresh vegetables, embodying a lifestyle of simplicity and community.

According to Torres, neighborhood camaraderie is alive, with frequent chats and the occasional block party. However, she notes that those living in nearby townhouses rarely participate in these social events or engage in daily conversations.

“I just want to preserve the way it’s always been here,” Torres shared with the Daily Mail, voicing a sentiment common among long-term residents.

The way Torres and others have sought to do that is by filing applications with the city planning commission that cite Chapter 42 of the Houston Municipal Code.

Since Houston has no citywide zoning laws – which essentially allows people to build whatever they want, wherever they want – Chapter 42 has become the last line of defense for residents who don’t want high-density housing anywhere near them.

Chapter 42 has been around since the 1980s and through neighborhood petitions, residents can block developers from subdividing lots for townhome projects.

A typical street in the suburban community of Denver Harbor. Developers increasingly want to turn the Houston neighborhood into a mecca for townhomes

A series of townhomes being developed on a single lot in Denver Harbor. This is what residents are fighting to prevent by using Chapter 42, a portion of the municipal code that regulates minimum lot sizes

Delphina Torres has lived in this home since she was five. She is 59 now and wants to preserve the character of her community for decades to come

Rene Porras, 75, estimates that over the last nine years, he and his group Denver Harbor Cares has ‘protected’ around 2,000 homes using Chapter 42.

‘This city is pretty much operated by developers and investors,’ he said. ‘They want to make a trillion dollars and run everybody out of here.’

‘They hate what we’re doing with Chapter 42. We’ve probably cost them millions and millions of dollars,’ he added.

Porras and Torres have submitted what are called block petitions and area petitions to stop developers from chopping up a single family home lot into as many as eight units.

As the name suggests, block petitions protect a single side of a city block from further subdivision. A simple majority, 51 percent, of the homeowners on that block needs to vote yes for it to be successful.

Area petitions, meanwhile, preserve the character and lot sizes of an entire section of a neighborhood. Because this type of petition could stop future development on up to 500 lots, it requires more residents to vote in the affirmative – 55 percent.

Once the city approves these petitions, developers cannot subdivide lots or build multi-unit projects in the protected area for 40 years; any new construction must be strictly single-family residential. 

Torres claimed that she has been able to drive out builders who were likely planning to pursue multiple apartment units that would have a greater rental income potential than a single home.

Another example of a development of multiple properties on a single plot of land

Rene Porras, 75, is another community member who has been fighting for years against developers who want to bring high-density housing to Denver Harbor

‘If I put an application before [the developer] does, it’ll hold his application, and then, more likely than not, he’ll end up reselling, because he’s not going to want to put up a regular house when he probably wanted to put up townhouses. We’ve already seen that happen,’ she said.

Although Torres and Porras said they are happy with their progress so far, they explained that the process of getting residents on board can be extremely difficult. 

‘Some neighbors don’t want to sign,’ Torres said. ‘Really, I don’t understand. I tell them, “It doesn’t prevent you from not selling your property. It just keeps this characteristic of our neighborhood the same.” But some don’t want to sign, or some don’t trust you.’

On top of that, Porras claims the city does not support volunteers’ efforts in Denver Harbor because it stands to gain more property tax revenue if lots are subdivided.

The Daily Mail approached all 16 council members for their position on Chapter 42 and four replied back by publication time.

A representative for Council Member Tarsha Jackson, who represents parts of Denver Harbor, responded to rumors about the council possibly eliminating Chapter 42 in its current form.

Her statement said there are no plans to do so and that Jackson would not support its elimination.

Council Member Mario Castillo, who represents the southern tip of Denver Harbor, said he is ‘a big supporter of Chapter 42.’

Council Member Tiffany Thomas declined to comment and Council Member Joaquin Martinez did not offer a response before publication time.

Council Member Tarsha Jackson, who represents parts of Denver Harbor, expressed support for Chapter 42

The community has been has seen residents throw block parties over the years. Locals say everyone speaks to each other in the street except some of the newer townhouse residents

Porras continues wielding Chapter 42 as a weapon against developers because he is afraid that Denver Harbor will someday resemble the Second Ward, an area ranked the third most gentrified in the nation by a 2018 study.

‘That was a Hispanic neighborhood. There’s nothing but condominiums and townhouses now, and you don’t even see Hispanic people there anymore. That’s what we’re trying to do here,’ he said.

Porras said in the areas of Denver Harbor he and volunteers haven’t gotten to yet, townhomes have started to appear.

‘We know who they are, because all the homes used to be owned by a Ramirez or a Rodriguez and now, they’re all owned by developers who don’t care about the neighborhood,’ he said.

Torres stressed that Denver Harbor is an neighborhood with a lot of seniors. She hopes that she can convince them that maintaining the tight-knit feel of the community is worth fighting for, even after they’re gone.

‘I’m trying to tell them it doesn’t stop them from selling, but the next person that buys it will keep the house the way it is,’ she said.

‘The people that have worked all their lives…and bought their house for like $20,000 back in the seventies and work hard to maintain it – I sure don’t want that to be changed.’