About Us

Who We Are

Keep Houston Beautiful is the city's leading organization in cleanup, beautification, and litter reduction. For over 37 years, Keep Houston Beautiful has been reaching out to all segments of our community to educate and empower individuals to take greater responsibility for beautifying and enhancing Houston's environment. Each year's successes have created a cleaner and healthier city for all Houstonians.

Our Mission

Through education and community partnerships, we foster resident and neighborhood awareness of the important role citizens can play in preserving the natural beauty and visual amenities of our city.

Our Vision

For Houston to be recognized nationally as one of the cleanest, most metropolitan cities in America.

Our Goals

Provide continuous education and public awareness efforts that support and promote sound waste management activities.
Plan, develop and implement neighborhood-based litter cleanup programs and activities.
Coordinate and implement landscaping improvements.
Maintain fiscal sustainability and accountability

Our History

The Houston Clean City Commission, d.b.a. Keep Houston Beautiful, was created in 1979 and charged with the task of creating a clean and beautiful city. As a local affiliate of the national organization, Keep America Beautiful, Keep Houston Beautiful learned that the way to lasting improvement was through education and a change of attitude by each individual as to his or her personal responsibility towards the environment. Therefore, during its history, training, positive reinforcement and recognition have been major components of all the program activities.

Encouraging and supporting cleanup and beautification projects by neighborhoods and community groups is another focus of Keep Houston Beautiful. In 1998, the City of Houston awarded a grant to Keep Houston Beautiful to operate the Clean Neighborhoods Program. This program was used as a case study to develop a best practice on Urban Partnerships to prevent litter and illegal dumping guide for the U.S. conference of Mayors and Keep America Beautiful, Inc. “Building Clean, Livable Cities” national litter summit in 1999.

Throughout its history, Keep Houston Beautiful has received local, regional and national recognition and has a successful track record of working with local businesses and leading Houston corporations to promote effective partnerships solutions to eliminating urban blight.

Organizational Structure

Keep Houston Beautiful is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization. It is governed by a 7-member board of directors which is supported by a small professional staff. Houston Clean City Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council and act as liaisons for KHB to to City council and as champions for the organization throughout the community.

Strategic Priorities

Offer conservation
Greening and solid waste management solutions that deliver clean, beautiful public places, positive impact on the local economy and generations of environmental stewards
Recognize outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations toward fulfilling the mission of Keep Houston Beautiful
Conduct fund raising efforts as a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization to bring complementary funding (or in-kind good/services) for waste management education/public awareness programs and community beautification activities, above and beyond local government appropriations for such programs.