HOUSTON – Red and white fencing barriers now block access to a dead-end road in Sunnyside, long known as a hotspot for illegal dumping. The barriers were installed by the office of City Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz after she visited the site alongside KPRC 2 News reporter Rilwan Balogun.
“We know that people, if they can figure out a way, they will,” Evans-Shabazz said, referring to those who dump trash illegally. “We want to make sure that we stay on top of it, monitoring the area and possibly putting up another barrier.”
The barrier idea came from South Park Super Neighborhood President Travis McGee and Tracy Stephens of the Sunnyside Civic group, who say blocking off unused streets could help curb dumping across multiple neighborhoods.
“You can block off the majority of these streets that aren’t being used,” Stephens said. “Where you see dumping like this, Fifth Ward, Trinity Gardens, if the road isn’t in use, the city has the option to block it off.”
Wilmington Street, where the barriers now stand, is the same area where a truck driver was caught on video unloading what appeared to be contractor materials. The footage was shared with KPRC 2 News by Precinct 7 Constables. The property owners, Housing Alliance HTX, formerly known as the Houston Housing Authority, were cited for the trash, even though they didn’t dump.
“There’s no reason for cars to come down here,” McGee told Balogun earlier this month. “There’s no way out. Anything happening down here is bad.”
Illegal dumping continues to be one of the most frequent complaints to the city’s 311 service. According to city data, there have been 804 reports of trash dumping or illegal dump sites in just the past four weeks, but these are only the locations that residents took the time to report.
Council Member Tarsha Jackson hires a contractor weekly to pick up heavy trash across her district. It costs her office $2,000 a day for two trucks and operators to work four hours.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare says those concerns are being taken seriously. His office recently rebuilt its environmental crimes unit to more aggressively address illegal dumping.
“Since then, we’ve hit offenders where it hurts, bad actors charged, thousands of dollars in fines paid back to our community ($13,500 since June), and 450 hours of community service spent cleaning up their own mess,” a spokesperson told KPRC 2 News. “But we’re not just punishing bad actors; we’re preventing the problem too. We’ve partnered with local groups to show residents the right way to dispose of waste, making it easier to do the right thing and harder to trash our neighborhoods.”
Meanwhile, the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department is working to expand its illegal dumping cleanup efforts by hiring additional staff and adding collection vehicles. The department is also preparing to roll out an on-demand heavy trash pickup program.
“The City of Houston recognizes illegal dumping as an ongoing quality-of-life issue affecting neighborhoods citywide,” said department director Larius Hassen in a statement. “The Solid Waste Management Department continues to respond with contractor-supported abatement services and coordinated enforcement with partner departments.”
City officials urge residents to keep reporting illegal dumping to 311. When it is safe to do so, residents are also encouraged to document the activity, such as taking photos of the suspect, vehicle, and exact location and reporting it to HPD’s non-emergency line at (713) 884-3131. City leaders say these steps are critical to holding offenders accountable and preventing future dumping.
KPRC 2 reached out to each council member to learn more about how they address illegal dumping. Here are the responses we’ve received:
Amy Peck, Houston City Council Member, District A:
“In District A, we employ a team who collects illegal dumping in the district. We pair that with a camera monitored by Constable Alan Rosen’s office. The camera is moved around the district in areas where we consistently have concerns. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
Tiffany Thomas, Houston City Council Member, District F:
“Illegal dumping in Houston is out of control. While it’s not the top reason District F residents call 311, it remains a serious quality-of-life issue. In 2025, we tracked 162 service requests for illegal dumping, and we currently have nine in the queue. The city simply does not have the infrastructure or capacity to keep up. That’s why I’ve fully funded a rapid response plan and created the District F Hot Spot Team to fill that gap. Since Fiscal Year 2020, I’ve invested nearly $420,000 from Council District Service Funds, including $55,000 currently allocated for FY26, along with an additional $5,204 for essential lawn equipment—including a riding mower, push mowers, heavy-duty trimmers, and a blower—to ensure the team has the tools to maintain overgrown grass and even cut down trees when necessary.
In 2025 alone, the Hot Spot Team cleared over 79,000 pounds of trash and tree waste, landscaped 250,000 square feet, and removed blight from subdivisions that had been suffocated for years on White Cap Lane, Amanda Lane, and Synott Road. These are our public dollars at work, but we can’t do it alone. The District F Hot Spot Team is incredible. They are the backbone of our fight against blight, and we will continue to rely on them to keep District F clean, safe, and welcoming for everyone.”
Mary Nan Huffman, Houston City Council, District G:
“Council Member Huffman works closely with HPD to monitor areas known to be illegal dumping hotspots within District G to provide deterrence and enforcement. Additionally, she uses funding from her office to provide cleanup services as needed within the boundaries of District G.”
Mario Castillo, Houston City Council, District H:
“In addition to the City of Houston’s broader efforts, Council Member Castillo has dedicated Council District Service Funds (CDSF) to support a District H Hotspot Team focused specifically on illegal dumping. In 2025, Solid Waste–related concerns were some of the most frequently reported issues to our office, underscoring the need for a more immediate and targeted response.
The Hotspot Team consists of two full-time employees who work Monday through Friday, addressing illegal dumping throughout District H. Since its inception in 2025, the team has cleaned up approximately 350 illegal dumping sites, including unsightly curbs and esplanades in residential areas. Their efforts prioritize seniors and vulnerable residents who have illegal dumping near their property.
This proactive approach allows District H to respond more quickly and precisely to problem areas, improve neighborhood safety and cleanliness, and deter repeat dumping in known hotspots from becoming magnets for additional illegal dumping.”
Joaquin Martinez, Houston City Council, District I:
“The District I office takes illegal dumping seriously and works closely with city departments to ensure dumping sites are prioritized and addressed as quickly as possible. Additionally, illegal dumping prevention is part of District I’s broader public safety, community engagement, and communications strategy. “
Edward Pollard, Houston City Council, District J:
“Our office continues to pride itself as being the fastest office in the county as it relates to constituent services, as reported by KPRC.
We understand the frustration of residents when the city is slow to resolve issues, especially as it relates to illegal dumping. As such, we have branded our district as J City and run it like its own quasi municipality, where we provide specialized programs specifically targeted to address issues like illegal dumping fast.
We have contracted out to private crews, which we call the J City Beautification Team. This supplemental crew is hired through a management district, paid for with our council office dollars, and they report directly to our office on addressing illegal dumping, trash, scattered debris, graffiti, etc. The way it works is, residents will contact our office with the location of illegal dumping, and instead of waiting for the city to respond (which can take much longer) we deploy our own crew to pick up the illegally dumped items. The crew is working throughout the week, every week, to address the issues fast. Our office is no longer reliant on the city departments to solely address the issues; we have our own teams that we can go to. Please see below: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18psX4Wk5a/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1QvSywDCnt/?mibextid=wwXIfr
We believe this is the modern way to address illegal dumping, and what we do in J City is a model for what should be done city wide.”
READ MORE: Put to the test: Are your elected leaders responding to taxpayers’ concerns?
Julian Ramirez, Houston City Council At-Large Position 1:
“As an at-large council member, I see the problem of illegal dumping and its multiple causes cutting across district lines. In the past, we’ve suggested to the administration that they consider a change to policy that would require building and remodeling contractors to certify to the city that waste materials from their work, which is a significant contributor to the problem, have been disposed of at a landfill. This measure would need to be coupled with a crackdown on the many unpermitted projects that go on across the city.”
Twila Carter, Houston City Council, At-Large Position 3:
“As an At-Large Council Member, I represent the entire City of Houston. Illegal dumping is a serious issue, and as Solid Waste transitions to “on demand” heavy trash pickup, this should allow greater focus on clearing areas most impacted by illegal dumping. At the end of the day, illegal dumping is a crime—and it must be treated and enforced as such.”
District Attorney Sean Teare on illegal dumping:
“For too long, offenders have treated Harris County like their personal trash can. Our message is simple: dump illegally in Harris County, and you’ll pay the price.
We share the communities frustration about illegal dumping. That’s why six months ago, we rebuilt our environmental crimes unit from the ground up. Since then, we’ve hit offenders where it hurts: bad actors charged, thousands of dollars in fines paid back to our community ($13,500 since June) and 450 hours of community service cleaning up their own mess. But we’re not just punishing bad actors, we’re preventing the problem too. We’ve partnered with local groups to show residents the right way to dispose of waste, making it easier to do the right thing and harder to trash our neighborhoods. We’re also leading by example. Last month, dozens of our prosecutors stepped out of the courtroom, rolled up their sleeves and got to work cleaning an illegal dump site in the city.”
Solid Waste Management Department Director Larius Hassen.
“The City of Houston recognizes illegal dumping as an ongoing quality of life issue affecting neighborhoods citywide. While the One Clean Houston initiative increased attention and coordination among departments, enforcement and cleanup efforts were already in place and continue today as part of the City’s long-term strategy.
The Solid Waste Management Department continues to respond to illegal dumping with contractor supported abatement services and coordinated enforcement with partner departments. The department is working to expand illegal dumping collection response by hiring additional drivers and acquiring more collection vehicles. Residents are encouraged to report illegal dumping to the Houston Police Department non-emergency line at (713) 884-3131 or through Crime Stoppers. When it is safe to do so, photographs, vehicle descriptions, and precise location details can assist investigations and support enforcement and prosecution efforts.
Prevention and access to proper disposal are also priorities. Residents may use the City’s free Neighborhood Drop-off Centers. Locations and accepted materials are available at https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depository.html.
Details regarding the scheduled Heavy Trash Collection program will be forthcoming.”