Our Town: Acres Homes neighbors fighting back against illegal dumping
On the streets of Acres Homes, the signs of illegal dumping are impossible to ignore — piles of discarded furniture, bursting bags of rotting food, and clothing strewn across empty lots. For the residents who call this historic neighborhood home, it’s more than just an eyesore.
On the streets of Acres Homes, the signs of illegal dumping are impossible to ignore — piles of discarded furniture, bursting bags of rotting food, and clothing strewn across empty lots.
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The Acres Homes community has long been a hotspot for illegal dumping, and neighbors say they’ve been forced to live with the overwhelming problem for far too long.
For lifelong residents, like Warren Fitzgerald-Muhammad, who call this historic neighborhood home, it’s more than just an eyesore.
“It’s a health hazard to even touch this,” the CEO of the Acres Homes Chamber for Business and Economic Development said. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”
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Muhammad told KPRC 2 anchor Andy Cerota the problem is personal to him.
“I’m angry. I’m irate. I grew up right on this street,” Muhammad explained.
He’s now one of the leading voices pushing for systemic change — advocating for a multi-agency task force to crack down on the dumping and coordinate clean-up efforts.
“We need a task force and we need collaboration between the city, the counties, the agencies, and the community,” he said.
Organizing for Change
Local advocate Sheba Roy is also part of the growing grassroots movement to educate and mobilize residents.
“Something like this is so extreme,” she said. “Making sure people know they should be contacting 311. And after you’ve contacted 311, you make sure you have a case number.”
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As part of the community’s efforts, new signs reading “See Trash, Call 311” will soon be posted around Acres Homes. Plans are also underway to install monitoring and surveillance equipment in high-dumping areas to catch offenders in the act.
“If you see someone actively dumping, you want to report that person to law enforcement,” Roy added. “You don’t want to get out and engage them. You don’t want to try to stop it yourself.”
More Than Just Trash
But the effort is about more than just picking up garbage. In some locations, the dumping has been so severe that residents fear potential health risks, requiring Hazmat suits and heavy machinery before they can even start.
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Despite the scope of the problem, both Roy and Muhammad say they see hope.
“Acres Homes is still deeply rooted in connection,” Roy said. “We still care about what Acres Homes looks like.”
Building a Future
Their shared goal is not only to clean up the community but to help it thrive again.
“If your efforts are successful, what does it mean for the future of Acres Homes?” Cerota asked.
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“It means a lot,” Muhammad said. “We’ve been trying to encourage people to move back into Acres Homes. It’ll mean a lot to clean this up and make it the kind of place that people will move back into — to make the community a vibrant place to live.”
