How Houston is trying to make philanthropy work smarter in disaster recovery
A national report last year by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy indicated an imbalance between how philanthropic disaster funds are spent.
Master-planned community in northeast Houston puts affordable housing within reach
Last year, Nura Jemal, her husband and two sons lived in a two-bedroom apartment in southwest Houston. But with a third son on the way, they began to reconsider their living arrangement.
How research helps Spring ISD drive student success
Leaders in Spring ISD don’t have to look far to find district graduates who have benefited from their schools’ Career and Technical Education programs. Michael King, a 2018 grad, is an audio/video technician in the district’s technology department, an example of talent and dedication meeting opportunity.
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.
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.
10 in 2023: Top stories from the Urban Edge
Housing costs, the economy, increasing demands on income and concerns about the environment weighed on the minds of Urban Edge readers in 2023.
'I Am Barbara Jordan': Houston honors hometown political icon
Before she became a national figure, political leader and University of Texas professor, Barbara Jordan was born and raised in Houston’s Fifth Ward. There was a time, however, when Houston — a deeply segregated city — could have lost the chance to claim her.
The Houston Independent School District has bolstered its wraparound services with the opening of seven new Sunrise Centers since September. These services assist with a variety of non-instructional needs, including after-school care, clothing, enrichment activities, food, health care, school supplies and other resources.
Third Ward EV shuttle offers a way to close the first-and-last-mile gap in transit
Third Ward residents have recently gained increased access to grocery stores, health care, public transit and other necessities, thanks to an electric vehicle shuttle service that transports residents at no cost. It is part of a 12-week pilot program that could help close a critical transportation gap in Houston communities facing transit disadvantages and low vehicle ownership.
With community action plan, Settegast takes next step toward lasting change
Following a three-phase, 18-month project, Harris County Public Health has released a community action plan for Settegast, a historically Black neighborhood in northeast Houston with the lowest life expectancy in Harris County, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s U.S. Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project.
Community Bridges fellows continue to advance equitable solutions for Houston
In partnership with 16 nonprofit partner organizations, the 27 fellows in the 2022-2023 Community Bridges cohort grappled with urban inequality and poverty issues within Greater Houston communities.
'You betta do somethin’': How seven artists helped Third Ward reclaim itself 30 years ago
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Project Row Houses' debut, the Urban Edge asked author and artist Lindsay Gary to reflect on the impact of this project on Third Ward, on Houston and on her own journey.
With new youth facility, Harris Center takes community-based approach to avoid recidivism
One of the central aspirations of The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is to reduce the footprint of criminal justice in the lives of people with mental health concerns. After providing services to over 90,000 individuals in 2022, it recently opened a facility specifically dedicated to juveniles between the ages of 13-17 with the launch of its Youth Diversion Center.
A generation ago, a documentary revealed an unseen housing crisis in Houston
In 1979, a documentary filmmaker and an architect trained both of their lenses on Houston’s housing crisis. The result was a film that could have easily been made today, as housing costs, inflation and demographic change continue to reshape the region. It is also a film that demands a second viewing.
Rice University
Kraft Hall
6100 Main Street, Suite 305
Houston, TX 77005-1892
