Hens for Homes!

The current City of Houston ordinance for backyard chickens makes it nearly impossible to legally and responsibly have a backyard flock within residential neighborhoods. We request the City implement a clear permitting process to easily allow a small number of backyard hens for the following reasons:

· Hens eat insects (including termites and roaches), weeds and act to till garden areas while providing a natural fertilizer in the form of organic manure.

· Hens consume organic waste, recycling table scraps into nutrient-rich manure that benefits soil quality and enhances plant growth. The keeping of backyard poultry can reduce local use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers and the problems associated with such products.

· Hen eggs provide a sustainable food source that is fresh, local, healthy, and delicious.

· Hens are wonderful, easy to care for, entertaining pets. They provide educational opportunities to teach children where food comes from and how to be responsible pet owners.

By establishing a permitting process to allow residents to keep a limited number of hens in residential neighborhoods, the City of Houston will encourage stewardship of the environment, food production on a household scale, and environmental sustainability.

Would you be interested in writing a letter to Houston City Council Member James Rodriguez supporting this cause?

Please email any letters of support to Eva Lozano, Constituent Services Director to James Rodriguez, at eva.lozano@houstontx.gov. Subject line “Support for change to Houston’s chicken ordinance.”

Please cc me at Isabella@hensforhomes.com so I have a record of support letters.

Thank you,

Isabella Acuña

Hens for Homes

http://hensforhomes.org/

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