Acres Homes, Houston

Acres Homes was established during World War I, when Houston landowners began selling homesites in the area that were large enough to contain small gardens and raise chickens or farm animals.

The farm capabilities of the home sites attracted many rural settlers, who dug their own wells, and built small, sanitary houses.

[1] Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle said that Acres Homes was originally marketed as "a bit of genteel country with quick and easy access to the city."

The community was also touted as a place where African Americans could own houses and land instead of being in more dense urban areas.

In reality, it was a heavily wooded, sparsely settled slum without adequate transportation or educational facilities.

[2] Before it was annexed by the city of Houston, Acres Homes was considered to be the largest unincorporated African American community in the Southern United States.

[2] In 1988 the Acres Homes War on Drugs Committee made anti-drug dealing campaigns focused on Andrew Winzer Park.

[6] As black populations in predominately African-American neighborhoods in the Houston area declined between 1990 and 2000, Lori Rodriguez of the Houston Chronicle wrote that Acres Homes, along with the MacGregor-Riverside Terrace area, "barely held on to their historical population base.

Marlene McNeese-Ward, the Houston Health Department chief of HIV/STD and Viral Hepatitis Prevention, stated "We're really looking at Acres Homes especially, and Sunnyside, but there's not too many ZIP codes... where we're not seeing any (cases).

[10] In 2016 the Highland Heights Annex Action Committee wrote a letter to their Houston City Council member, Jerry Davis, stating opposition to developments of new industrial facilities and townhouses.

[2] As of 2008 Acres Homes has the largest concentration of closed landfills in Houston, including permitted and unpermitted ones.

[19]The city operates the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center at 6719 West Montgomery Road.

[20] The city multi-service centers provide several services such as child care, programs for elderly residents, and rental space.

[22] After the city annexed portions of Acres Homes beginning in 1971, it began installing sewer and water lines.

The boundaries of the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood are Texas State Highway 249, Pinemont, North Shepherd, and the White Oak Bayou.

The HISD portion is divided by Highland Heights, Wesley, and Osborne Elementary schools.

[30] All HISD area residents are served by Booker T. Washington High School in the Independence Heights community.

[33] In February 2010 HISD opened the High School Ahead Academy (HSAA) in Acres Homes.

[38] In 1977 the Federal Government of the United States placed on Aldine ISD, asking it to desegregate several majority Black schools.

[42] In 1972 residents of Aldine ISD and two other K-12 school districts voted to create the North Harris County College.