Urban Disparity

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.”

Q&A: For Houston’s working poor, rising costs mean tougher choices

Over 725,000 households in the Houston area earn an income above the federal poverty line but cannot cover the rising cost of all of their essential needs, such as housing, health care and food, according to data compiled by United Way.

Housing, disasters, money and education: The Urban Edge in 2024

Extreme weather, the shortage of affordable housing and the benefits of prekindergarten were of greatest interest to Urban Edge readers this year, especially as they pertain to the Houston region.

While Harris County grows a little, its suburbs see big change

Harris County is continuing to grow, but not at the rate of neighboring counties, a trend established more than a decade ago that has more recently emerged among other big counties statewide.

Seeking Solutions: Connect Community bolsters success of new immigrants in southwest Houston

Since its founding in 2016, Connect Community and its partners have put $126 million toward community development and holistic revitalization in the Gulfton and Sharpstown neighborhoods in southwest Houston.

Residents leave Houston neighborhoods thanks in part to climate change

According to a report by First Street Foundation, 9% of census blocks in Harris County are listed as “climate abandonment areas,” where people are moving out due at least partially to climate change-related flood risk and not being replaced by incoming homebuyers.

Homeless coalition’s new CEO: Diversion, prevention key to reducing Houston’s unhoused population

With nearly 25 years of experience at social service agencies in Houston, Kelly Young is no stranger to the needs of the most vulnerable people in our area.

Seeking solutions: Pro-Vision Inc. strives to end intergenerational poverty in Houston’s Sunnyside

After nine years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, cornerback Roynell Young determined his playing days were over at the end of the 1988-89 season.

Why Houston is taking steps to elevate children’s rights in City Hall

After three years of researching, planning and implementing a commitment to its children, the city of Houston is the first in the U.S. to be recognized as a UNICEF Child Friendly City. With this milestone and the acknowledgement of children’s needs and voices, Houston is actively investing in its future — and it is an investment all cities should undertake.

National report highlights the roles of education and research in undoing the cycle of poverty

Over 1 in 3 children born around 1980 in the U.S. who grew up in households with incomes near or below the poverty line remained in low-income households when they were in their 30s. This is intergenerational poverty, and it carries profound impacts on the ability of individuals, families and communities to prosper.

Houston: Let's find the path toward better parks and greenspace for every neighborhood

A new report from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research makes clear that Houston’s city parks are woefully underfunded. Of the 13 U.S. cities with populations over 1 million, Houston ranks last in city spending for its parks department.

Harris County has more FEMA-designated ‘disaster resilience zones’ than anywhere else

The Federal Emergency Management Agency this month began designating certain communities at high risk for natural disasters as “disaster resilience zones,” and Harris County — with 14 — has more than any other county in the United States.

Ending chronic homelessness remains a ‘moonshot’ opportunity for Houston

A number of public policy solutions could help Houston make further strides to reduce homelessness, but experts say what is truly needed is a recommitment from local leaders — and additional resources — to bring an end to chronic homelessness.

As districts confront staffing shortages, centering equity can make a huge difference

Teachers are the most important resource in a school campus, and ensuring students have access to highly qualified teachers is essential. Unfortunately for PK-12 students in Texas, too many teachers have been leaving the profession and too few highly trained and experienced teachers are taking their place. At the same time, some schools have greater access to highly qualified teachers than others, which poses an obstacle to closing achievement gaps.