Economic Development

Can Texas afford to lose its housing affordability advantage?

Long known as a place where everything except the cost of living is big, the state seems to be losing its edge in the area of home prices — especially in its large metros. Continuing in that direction could lead to trouble down the road.

Boom likely to resume but leaders need to square disparities in the Texas Triangle

Despite the current coronavirus-driven economic slowdown and drop in oil prices, Houston continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most prosperous metropolitan areas in America. The metro area continues to add about 100,000 residents annually and has a gross domestic product of a half-trillion dollars per year.

City unveils ‘Resilient Houston,’ its plan to make the city stronger at every level

When it comes to health care, most people know they can either put in the work of maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough exercise now or pay a much higher price — physically and fiscally — later in life. The same is true when it comes to the health and well-being of a city and its residents. In the long run, it’s smarter and less expensive for local governments to invest now to ensure they are prepared to handle unexpected disasters and possibly prevent problems altogether in the future.

Houston joins global network of cities working to build resilience

One day before the release of the city’s Resilient Houston plan on Wednesday, a new network of resilient cities was publicly announced at the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi. Houston will be a member of the network.

The housing voucher program isn’t perfect, but it’s essential

How much do you know about the 45-year-old federal housing assistance program that was created to help those with the nation’s lowest incomes access better opportunities and escape poverty?

Understanding Houston: An unemployed engineer finds help in community

This is a part of a series connected to our partnership with the Greater Houston Community Foundation's regional project Understanding Houston. This story, and others in the series, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.

Big Texas cities are rapidly gentrifying, but none as fast as Houston

Since the turn of the century, many neighborhoods in or near the heart of Houston and the state’s other large metropolitan areas — Dallas, San Antonio and Austin — have been transformed by the ongoing inflow of affluence. A change better known as gentrification.

Several Houston suburbs rank among cities with least sustainable credit card debt

WalletHub calculated the cost and time it would take residents to pay off median card balances in cities across the country.

Is development fueled by transit driving residents out in some areas?

Extensions of light rail service in areas with easy access to Houston’s major job centers have brought residential and commercial development to those areas. Researchers at the Kinder Institute wanted to find out if and how transit investments impact patterns of gentrification in the city.

Financial insecurity plaguing families could cost Houston millions

Despite month after month of strong jobs reports and an economy seen as robust by most analysts, many families in Houston are struggling to make ends meet and afford basic household necessities. 

As overall job growth surges, outlook for low-wage workers darkens

Meet America's low-wage workforce: 53 million hard-working people struggling to keep their heads above water no matter what they do.

How the Third Ward is fighting the 'effects of unchecked gentrification'

When Pamela Ramirez relocated to Houston in 2014 to pursue her career in public service with Harris County, she purchased her first car and began looking for a place to rent. While on HAR.com searching for rental property, she found a listing for a single-family home with a mortgage payment in her rental range. Ramirez took a deep breath and decided to explore.

Sunnyside survey shows neighborhood's social fabric is strong

Results from the recently released Sunnyside Strong survey reveal promising potential for revitalizing the predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Sunnyside and South Park in south-central Houston; though there’s still work to be done.

The Maker Economy: The Growing Demand of Small Urban Manufacturers in Houston

With guidance, funding, and technical support from TX/RX Labs, the Houston office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and BeehiveFund/TMAC Gulf Coast, the Kinder Institute team set out to raise awareness around small urban manufacturing in Houston, culminating in this report.

Houston small-business survey reveals how city and state can better support manufacturers

Small businesses are only as successful as the policy, investment and regulatory environment they operate in. For small enterprises especially, flexibility and nimbleness are critical to growth. To thrive, clear pathways must exist for firms, regardless of size, to effectively scale, expand operations and further contributions to the economy, through new jobs, tax revenue streams and technological innovation.