Insights

Study: Black Renter Households Pay A Rent Premium

Using a robust national data set of voucher holders, researchers found significant rent premiums for black renters compared to white renters for similar properties in the same area.

Urban Review: Politicians on Twitter, Poverty in Texas and a Climate Action Plan for Houston

This week, why your political representative shouldn't block you, what the latest poverty numbers mean for Texas cities and a new climate action plan in the works for Houston.

Study: Northern Third Ward vs. Gentrification

In Houston's Third Ward, organizing against gentrification isn't just about property and displacement. It's also about building community capacity.

Urban Review: Hot Cities, Emergency Prep in Houston and Another Anti-Homeless Ordinance Struck Down

This week, as cities heat up, how are they addressing rising temperatures? Plus, a look at newly released data on self-reported emergency preparedness in the Houston metropolitan area, the latest court ruling on a sidewalk sleeping ban in Boise and more.

City Puts Land Bank, Recovery Dollars to Work with New Single-Family Home Construction

A retooled land bank program seeks to improve the city's affordable housing construction record while coordinating influx of disaster recovery funding.

Urban Review: Spatial Mismatch, Cash Bail and Harvey's Deadly Legacy

This week, more research on the impact of living far away from jobs, an effective end to cash bail in California and why Harris County's count of Harvey-related deaths could be too low.

To Pay for Trauma Centers, State Program Sinks Thousands of Texas Drivers into Deep Debt

Texas Tribune | Though lawmakers acknowledge the policy disproportionately hurts the poor, they've struggled to eliminate it.

How the Walkable Places Committee Plans to Make Houston More Pedestrian Friendly

The Houston Walkable Places Committee aims to make the Bayou City a more pedestrian-friendly city one new construction at a time.

Urban Review: How To Comment on Proposed Policy, Making Texas Roads Safer and Protecting Aretha Franklin's Childhood Home

This week, a handy how-to guide on submitting comments on federal proposals, plus a call out to do just that at the state level to support safer roads in Texas and a look at a new park in Tulsa, an existing Dodger Stadium connection and more.

In Unearthed Mass Grave of Prison Laborers, Fast-Growing Houston Suburb Confronts Its Past

The Conversation | In theory, Texas law should protect these heritage sites.

How to Help the Highest-Need Student Loan Borrowers

A new Urban Institute report sheds light on who's most likely to default on student loans, and possible ways to help them.

Your Voting Habits May Depend on When You Registered to Vote

The Conversation | Research sheds light on who's most likely to vote and who's most likely to become a habitual voter.

Urban Review: Bike Safety, Transit Equity and a New Home Construction Program in Houston

This week, new research on the potential safety benefits of Houston's Bike Plan, a home construction program, getting transit equity right and more.

Flood Control Bond Has Support, Skepticism As Early Voting Begins

Early voting began Wednesday, with election day on Aug. 25, the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey's landfall.

Houston Metro's Next Steps Could Have Big Impacts, But For Whom Depends on Final Funding and Plans

With several still very preliminary plans for Metro's next steps on the table, how should we think about equity?