Their complaints come as the Houston Police Department is stepping up enforcement actions against illegal dumping.
HOUSTON — Residents along Parker Road in Houston’s Homestead neighborhood said illegal dumping on their street has surged in recent weeks, leaving them frustrated and still waiting for help despite repeated complaints.
Mattresses, boxes and even toilets line parts of the roadway median, according to neighbors who said the dumping has worsened over the past month.
“This is a decent neighborhood, and we would like to keep it that way,” resident Lillian Bryant said. “Every other day, somebody is coming by, adding trash to it, so trash is piling up. Nobody is doing anything about it. If you stop a car and tell them do not put the trash out here, they just look at you mean and drive off.”
Neighbors said they have contacted the city through 311 multiple times but have yet to see results.
“Upset. Disgusted. Frustrated. Because it’s been out there for a long time, and we’ve been trying to get some results done with it,” resident Angela Reason said.
Residents said the problem goes beyond large items like couches, television boxes and abandoned Christmas trees. Smaller pieces of trash in the median are blowing into front lawns, creating additional cleanup concerns.
“It’s blowing in the yards and things,” resident Exie B. Hodge said. “It makes me feel bad, because I’ve been here almost 60 years in this place, when it was first built, and we didn’t have this kind of stuff.”
The complaints come as the Houston Police Department is stepping up enforcement against illegal dumping. Just this week, HPD announced the arrests of two people caught on camera dumping household waste in northeast Houston. In a social media post, Houston police said, “Illegal dumping will not be tolerated.”
Residents along Parker Road said they hope to see similar enforcement efforts in their neighborhood.
“It’s so embarrassing. And the people come and pillage through it, and every morning, it’s more trash, and we don’t know where it’s coming from,” resident Ramona James said.
Anyone with information or a tip about illegal dumping is encouraged to contact HPD’s Environmental Investigations Squad at 713-525-2728.
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