Houston launched a "Demolition Days" initiative Friday to tear down more than 2,000 dangerous properties across the city, beginning with a longtime abandoned home on Kashmere Street in Kashmere Gardens. The city is using $30 million from its stormwater fund to pay for the demolitions.

Seven more structures are scheduled to be demolished Saturday with assistance from contractors working through the Houston Contractors Association. City leaders said dangerous properties like the Kashmere Street home attract illegal dumping and contribute to drainage problems in nearby neighborhoods.

Speaking at the launch, Houston Mayor John Whitmire described the program as both a physical cleanup and a message to residents. "There's much more than just knocking down this building. It's a message that this neighborhood is important, that every community in the city of Houston is important," Whitmire said.

He pointed to the partnership with private contractors as central to the effort. "We came together — the private and public sector — to improve the quality of life of Houstonians. This is just the beginning," he said.

Some council members and the city controller criticized using stormwater funds for the demolitions, questioning whether the money should strictly go toward drainage infrastructure projects. District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson supported the funding approach, linking blighted properties to flooding problems in her district.

"I know when we have abandoned homes standing in our neighborhoods, it attracts illegal dumping," Jackson said. She tied that dumping directly to drainage failures: "The illegal dumping is in the ditches. The ditches is where the water is not flowing, which causes flooding."

Reaction among nearby residents was mixed. Alfred Alvarado, a resident, said he wished the Kashmere Street property had been preserved rather than razed. "I hate to see the house being demolished," Alvarado said. "I was hoping they auctioned off and restored it instead of tearing it down." He also acknowledged the demolition may be necessary, adding, "It's gotta go."