Social and Economic Disparity

‘Set up for failure’: Houston residents take expensive payday loans at sky-high rates, survey finds

Left in the cold: These Houston residents report lack of safe, reliable heating in winter

Early results from a Kinder Institute survey show 12% of Harris County residents don’t have safe, reliable heat at home.

Houston’s poorest neighborhoods are still drowning in illegally dumped trash — even after federal intervention

Federal oversight brought more eyes and dollars to Houston’s persistent illegal dumping problem, but city data suggests trash continues to pile up across the city.

A decade of stagnation: New data reveals Houston’s trouble getting some youth into school, workforce

How can Houston help more locals climb the income ladder? 3 economic mobility experts offer their take.

The region's first Economic Mobility Summit spurred conversation and ideas for helping more Houstonians improve their long-term earnings outlook.

What’s Texas State Technical College? A look at the school behind Proposition 1 on voters’ ballots.

Congress’ debate over ‘Obamacare’ subsidies stands to impact 1 million Houstonians

For more than 1 million Houstonians benefiting from Affordable Care Act subsidies, the argument in Washington over continuing the support hits close to home.

Hurricane Beryl remains a disruptive force for some Harris County residents, survey shows

YMCA CEO: We’re working to tackle loneliness — and want more Houston leaders to join us

With data to guide us and dialogue to unite us, Houston can become a city known not just for its diversity and growth, but for its connectedness.

Getting Back to Normal After Extreme Weather: Houston-Area Residents’ Recovery Following Hurricane Beryl and Other Major Storms of 2024

This study examines the short- and long-term recovery of Houston-area residents following Hurricane Beryl and other severe weather events occuring between April and July 2024.

How researching with mothers — not just about them — can produce better solutions

Houston faces significant maternal health challenges, but the best solutions often come from the people dealing with them every day.

Bureaucracy, stigma keep public assistance out of reach for thousands of Houstonians

Harris County residents miss out on nearly $1 billion in unclaimed government assistance every year, according to an estimate by Connective, a Houston-based nonprofit that is trying to address the problem even as federal efforts could erode these resources.

Cuts to SNAP would impact hundreds of thousands of Houston households

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s most significant anti-hunger program, could soon see a $230 billion funding reduction if current federal priorities move forward. This move could impact millions of Texans, including hundreds of thousands of Houston-area families.

Financial Knowledge, Banking, and Fintech in Houston and Harris County

This snapshot explores Houston-area residents' self-reported financial knowledge, use of banks and use of more modern financial technology applications.

In ‘A Good Reputation,’ Houston’s Northside offers diverging views on neighborhood change

In an April 2014 Houstonia Magazine article, “Where to Live Now: The 25 Hottest Neighborhoods of 2014,” the authors claimed that gentrification had “leapt beyond the Heights and into Lindale Park and Brooke Smith,” which meant that “Northside Village” was the “the next play for urban pioneers.”