A North Houston woman says she’s had enough of the trash piling up in an empty lot in her neighborhood. She reached out for KHOU 11 for help.
HOUSTON — A North Houston woman says she’s had enough of the trash piling up in an empty lot in her neighborhood. After her calls to 311 didn’t result in long-term action, she reached out to KHOU 11 for help.
The vacant lot sits off Jensen Drive near Crosstimbers in the Eastex Jensen neighborhood. What should be an open green space has become what some neighbors call an eyesore — and a health risk.
“This is a health issue,” said Ronie Cabrera, who grew up in the neighborhood. “Many people see rats and vermin coming out of this lot. It’s a symbol of negligence, and it reflects how this area has been ignored.”
Cabrera said she and others tried reporting the problem to the city multiple times through 311 and other channels, but nothing seemed to stick.
Then came a discovery that added to her frustration: the lot isn’t privately owned.
“We found out the City of Houston and the Health Department own this lot,” she said.
That’s when Cabrera contacted KHOU 11. After we reached out to the city and Councilman Mario Castillo’s office, a city cleanup crew arrived within 24 hours to clear some of the debris.
But Cabrera says she’s seen this before.
“Back in 2023, they cleaned it up,” she said. “But it didn’t take more than three months before it looked just like this again.”
We asked Councilman Castillo what the city is doing to maintain the property. He acknowledged the ongoing problem and said changes are coming.
“As of January of this year, a new contractor was brought on to maintain the lot,” Castillo said. “But they’re not doing a good job either.”
Castillo says the city is now working on a more permanent solution. In the short term, they plan to install a fence around the lot to prevent illegal dumping.
In the long term, Castillo said the city is open to partnering with county or state agencies to transform the space — potentially into a park or another type of community amenity.
“We’re open to other opportunities,” he said. “We’d like to see this lot become something the community can be proud of.”
That’s exactly what Cabrera hopes for.
“You can envision art on the walls, some benches, maybe sculptures,” she said. “This could be a place people actually want to spend time in.”
Until then, Cabrera and her neighbors are watching closely — hoping this latest cleanup isn’t just a temporary fix, but the beginning of something better.
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