I have this odd memory of doing this the first year and there were Bazu and Plarg and I think even Discordlings randomly placed near some of the ground spawns. Which was odd for the housing zone. We may have established from some of my other posts that I may be unhinged or something. I might get better! But probably not. Just the same I would swear there were a few critters the first time this task ran.
Hmm, I don't remember any odd mobs in housing during this. Its possible you were in a neighborhood that someone had those mobs as pets on their plots near a shard spawn. Did they attack you?
I'm not sure I did this quest the first year it was offered, but I've done it 5 or 6 times since, and never seen any mobs in the housing zones.