Economic Development

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. 

To build inclusive tech hubs, we must educate, collaborate and build past weaknesses

Anthony Frasier, the founder of ABF Creative and Brick City Tech, shared his thoughts on inclusive tech hubs during a Next City webinar on Wednesday.

The amount of money needed in your savings fluctuates based on your age, income, report says

The financial gap between the wealthiest and the poorest in America is at the widest it's been in the past 50 years. 

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.

Austin named America's fastest-growing large city in 2019, report says

Both Dallas and Houston are among the top 40 fastest-growing large cities, according to the recent report.

Report shows how small businesses fare in Houston compared to other American cities

A report from JPMorgan Chase Co.'s research institute reveals how small businesses in Houston fare compared to other large, American metros.

Long overlooked, Pleasantville hopes big grant, partnership means big change

In the Ship Channel's shadow, the small community was selected to be part of a Gulf Coast collaboration fighting health inequities.

A $15 minimum wage could lift 1.3 million out of poverty—and potentially cost 1.3 million jobs, according to CBO

It's been more than 10 years since lawmakers have raised the federal minimum wage, which is the longest period in history that it's stayed stagnant.

Job automation may negatively impact women’s job opportunities more than men’s, report shows

Automation and artificial intelligence technologies will displace men and women fairly equally over the next decade, but women may find more difficulty in that transition.

Urban Reads: Alexander Garvin

Distinguished urban planner Alexander Garvin identifies shared elements of great downtowns, offers lessons from successful and failed projects, and charts a path forward to support downtowns into the twenty-first century.

Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2019 Results

Through 38 years of Houston surveys, KHAS has tracked responses to the economic and demographic transformations of the Bayou City.