For more than 25 years, the Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development has relied on a $44,857 annual allocation that flowed from the State of Texas through Texas Southern University (TSU).
That funding has kept the chamber doors open and the programming running for one of Houston’s oldest Black community business institutions.
This fall, however, that long-standing support has come to an abrupt end.
TSU informed chamber leaders that the appropriation, which had been delivered consistently since 1998, would not be issued this year. Without that money, the chamber faces a sudden budget crisis that threatens its ability to continue serving one of Houston’s most historic African American neighborhoods.
“We’re not shutting down,” said Warren Fitzgerald Muhammad, Chamber CEO and board Chairman. “The mission still continues. We’re still committed to the work that we’ve done in the community. However, we do need support. So, if there was ever a time to step up and support those who have been working to make our lives better in this community, now is the time.”
Funding rooted in legislative history
The chamber began receiving the state appropriation more than two decades ago after advocacy by then-State Rep. Sylvester Turner and former State Senator and current Mayor John Whitmire. The funds were administered by TSU as a passthrough and became a routine part of the Chamber’s annual operating budget.
“Consistently without fail, we have received those funds year after year after year,” Muhammad said.
He learned the Chamber would not receive its allocation only after following up with TSU about the status of the request.
“What I was told was that in this current environment, TSU is having to review all of their expenditures and accordingly, some will renew, some will be cut, and they are looking into what statutory authority exists for that payment,” Muhammad added.
He was also confirmed to the Houston Defender that TSU’s ongoing audit and potential investigations ordered by Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick were part of the backdrop for the decision. A state audit found evidence of poor bookkeeping and financial mismanagement at the university, which formed the basis of the investigation.
“We can get into January”
Without the funding, the Chamber’s ability to operate in 2026 is uncertain.
“I know we can get into January,” Muhammad said of how long the chamber could survive without the allocation. “That’s a lot of money as a shortfall to your budget when it’s something you’ve come to rely on consistently over years and over decades. It is difficult.”
The Chamber has not yet determined which programs may need to be cut. Leaders plan to hold a board retreat to assess what can continue and what cannot.
But the potential impact is significant. The chamber operates a 6,000-square-foot building, hosts small business workshops, supports a farmer’s market, runs a hydroponic farm, provides entrepreneurial coaching, hosts community events, and serves as a meeting place for residents seeking information or resources.
TSU’s decision reverberates through Acres Homes
Elected officials and business owners expressed shock and a sense of urgency in response to the announcement.
State Rep. Charlene Ward Johnson, whose district includes Acres Homes, urged residents to rally around the chamber by organizing events and donating.
“The Chamber has been there for many of us,” she said. “We need to stand with the chamber. We do not want to lose a staple like this. It is too important that it’s in the heart of the Acres home community. We want to continue to hear the heartbeat.”
Now a candidate for the 18th Congressional District, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, called the Chamber “incredibly important” to supporting Black entrepreneurship. He linked the funding loss to broader political hostility against minority-serving institutions.
“There are folks in government in the state of Texas who are gleeful when they have the opportunity to attack historically Black institutions,” Menefee said. “It’s something you’ve seen all the way from the White House to Congress and then at the state level as well. We should be doing everything we can to help our minority-owned businesses. It’s a travesty that right-wing groups target Black owned businesses, filing lawsuits against them, trying to get them cut down, and trying to get funding at every level of government stopped.”
Local advocates echoed that sentiment. One longtime resident and business owner, Norma Thomas, reflected on Houston’s Black communities being “accustomed to unfair” disinvestments.
“When ‘unfair’ happens, we can’t roll over and die,” Thomas said, noting that state funds still exist but are not being released to the Chamber. She urged leaders to identify a new fiscal sponsor if TSU will not serve that role.
Call for support
Leaders noted the crisis is not unique.
“Our history is marred with the reality that governments have the ability to take away their support if and when they desire to do so,” said Rain Eatmon, executive director of the Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group. “We are not a stranger to being left to our own devices and making sure that we have to support ourselves because our story is not based on what is handed to us, but what we are able to till from the ground and grow and serve others.”
The Chamber plans to continue operating for now and is urging residents to become members and make donations.
The Defender has reached out to TSU for comment.
