Research

Houston METRORail Human Factors Safety Analysis

Concern over METRORail light rail vehicles collisions with cars, pedestrians, and motorists led the Kinder Institute to fund Rice Human Factors researchers to conduct a safety analysis of the rail line.

Harris County Winter Storm Uri Resilience Assessment

This report provides a geographic analysis of damage caused by Winter Storm Uri and highlights the unmet needs it uncovered. This assessment also analyzed damages from COVID-19 and Hurricane Harvey to better understand how these crises compound on different communities and to identify where recovery efforts might make the biggest impact.

Property Tax Equity in Harris County

The purpose of this study is to estimate the extent to which property taxes paid by City of Houston residents, businesses, and property owners financially support County services provided in Harris County outside the City of Houston. In other words, do Houston city taxpayers subsidize services provided by Harris County outside the city?

Student Mobility in Texas and the Houston Area

This report is the culmination of a multi-year study on student mobility undertaken by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research's Houston Education Research Consortium in collaboration with 10 public school districts in the Houston area.

A Tale of Two Departments: Public Health in Harris County and the City of Houston

This report examines the possible service overlaps between the Harris County Department of Public Health and the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services. The report also identifies options to reduce overlaps and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the public health delivery system.

The Relationship Between School-Year Mobility and School Performance in the Houston Area

A study of 10 public school districts in the Houston area found that the higher the school-year mobility rate at a school, the lower its accountability performance.

Consistency in Campus Student Mobility Predicting Campus Mobility at Houston Area Public Schools

This brief relays findings on how campuses’ student body characteristics, neighborhood features, campus attributes, and nearby alternative schooling options influence campus mobility rates.

Preserving Affordable Housing in Harris County

Kinder Institute researchers identify affordable housing preservation policies and programs in the Houston area, document the range and extent of affordable housing, and describe best practices that could help stem the loss of local affordable housing stock.

Student Mobility During School Year Detrimental for Houston Area Students’ Achievement and Attainment

Tens of thousands of students in the Houston area switched schools during the school year annually. This study examined what this mobility meant for students’ performance on state accountability tests, high school grade retention, high school dropout, and high school graduation.

School Suspension and Juvenile Justice Contact in the Houston Independent School District

This two-part study seeks to understand the relationship between school suspensions and juvenile justice contact in the Houston Independent School District (HISD).