Historic neighborhoods lend themselves to being great communities because of the common history and style they share.  Yet one of the challenges is, as a community ages, redevelops, and draws new people, its history can be tragically lost or become a burden impeding a community’s economic growth and health. 

At Responsible Historic Preservation of Houston, we love older homes, reside in the historic districts, and wish to maintain and preserve the historical aesthetics of our special neighborhoods.  We support deliberate preservation while believing that homeowners in a historic area should be the ultimate decision makers about what type of preservation rules should be applied in their community.  We want to help Historic District homeowners balance their clear desire to preserve a sense of history with reasonable fair processes that mesh their homeowner’s rights with the special needs of the historic community.

Currently, the City of Houston and a few outspoken people are seeking a dramatic change that will impact you as a homeowner.  The changes to the historic ordinance proposed would, without the consent of those in the district, alter the very nature of the historic district, into a new type of “Protected District."  Homeowners will no longer enjoy the ultimate right to decide what needs be done for their historic property.  Instead, a non-elected historic commission will tell homeowners what they can and cannot do in maintaining and updating their home.  No one in the district be allowed to demolish a historic structure, change the appearance of their property through renovation, or build a new home without the approval of this commission.  This is a dramatic change to the rights of homeowner without the consent of those impacted. 

We ask you to join us at Responsible Historic Preservation for Houston. Help us insure that our city keeps this current delicate balance of saying yes to historic preservation while also protecting your homeowners rights.