Housing

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?

If you are disabled and live in the Houston area, we’d love to hear your story

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is launching a new survey to better understand housing and neighborhood challenges faced by those living with disabilities in Houston.

5 surprising things I learned analyzing property tax protest data

It’s a tough time of year for homeowners in Houston. In November, a letter arrives from the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector with next year’s property tax bill. Some people pay their taxes every month with their mortgage. Others, like me, end up writing a big check in January.

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.

2019’s most-popular stories: Dockless scooters, the I-45 expansion and more

The most-popular Urban Edge stories from the past year ranged in topic from dockless scooters and the growth rate of Dallas to the unequal distribution of trees in the city and the Opportunity Zone program. But the most popular topic of 2019 was TxDOT’s enormous I-45 expansion plan.

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. 

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.

Housing vouchers work but more funding is needed to help more families

Research shows housing vouchers lead to improvements for families — children, in particular. Unfortunately, for many in Houston, limits on the program are blocking their access to those opportunities.

Understanding Houston: 'It's like I can't survive,' temporarily-homeless Houstonian says

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, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.

Atlanta resident survey shows similar concerns Houstonians face including transportation, housing and crime

Each year, the Atlanta Regional Commission and its partners conduct the Metro Atlanta Speaks survey, similar to Houston's Kinder Houston Area Survey.

Kinder Institute Forum: Henry Cisneros

Former Mayor and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros shares strategies for inclusive growth, improving urban and social infrastructure and planning for affordable housing.

Housing Choice Voucher Mobility in Houston

This report identifies patterns in the household movements of residents who hold Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) in Harris County. It identifies who among the voucher holders are moving, where they are moving to and from, and whether or not these moves are related to attempts to access opportunity or to avoid pressures such as gentrification, flood risk, and high rents.

Housing Choice Voucher research shows who’s most likely to move toward opportunity

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program offers subsidy recipients the advantage and freedom to choose a rental location, unlike other project-based affordable housing programs