Kinder Institute for Urban Research

?? Houston’s transition from government-run public housing to privately-owned, mixed-income developments is part of a national trend spanning several decades. Urban Edge's "Housing Foundations" series explores the factors shaping affordable housing in 2025. Read more: https://bit.ly/4iilmo0

Houston’s drainage system is set to receive more funding thanks to a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court, but at what cost? The Urban Edge turned to recent Kinder Institute findings and the Baker Institute for Public Policy to better understand the city’s difficult task of addressing a massive budget deficit while maintaining critical services its residents rely on. Read more: https://bit.ly/4k6ePOK

Harris County Housing & Community Development is collecting information from residents about last year's derecho storm and Hurricane Beryl. Learn more ↘?

As we celebrate 15 years of building better cities, building better lives… I’m hiring a Director of Development to help steer Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research fundraising efforts to new heights. If you enjoy fostering meaningful connections and collaborating with exceptional teammates, please apply! And share with your network. Deadline to apply March 5, 2025: https://lnkd.in/gVcStW7s #RiceU #Leadership #JobOpportunity #Fundraising #KinderInstitute #Anniversary #Expansion #Momentous

Nearly two-thirds of Houston and Harris County residents struggled with housing costs in 2024, according to a new Kinder Institute survey. This chart breaks down the key factors impacting affordability — from high utility bills to rising insurance costs. For a fuller picture of housing affordability in Houston, consider these key findings from the Kinder Institute’s latest State of Housing reports: ?? A $100,000 annual income isn’t enough to afford a median-priced home in most Harris County neighborhoods (2024). ?? The affordability gap has grown 275% in Harris County and 54% in Houston since 2018 (2024). ?? Rent increases have outpaced wage growth in Harris County since 2015 (2023). ?? Most renters are cost-burdened, spending over 30% of their income on housing (2023). Snapshot: Housing Affordability and Instability report ?? https://bit.ly/3QjBaKU

Advancing Maternal Health in High-Priority Neighborhoods: A Powerful Step Toward Change I am grateful to share that Luz Garcini, PhD, MPH and I recently co-led a meeting for a Community Advisory Board to advance maternal health in Houston, an important initiative undertaken by the Center for Community & Public Health at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research (KIUR). With the guidance of more than 20 community organizations committed to advancing maternal healthcare in the Greater Houston Area, we will continue to collaborate on identifying crucial barriers and facilitators to quality maternal healthcare. Indeed, the meeting provided a vibrant space to share insights, address challenges, and explore innovative solutions tailored to the specific needs of maternal health in one of the largest urban cities in the U.S. The valuable feedback from our CAB leaders is crucial to bridging research and practice, paving the way for sustainable change in maternal health outcomes. At the KIUR Center for Community and Public Health, we are committed to elevating the voices of the community to inform more effective strategies to address pressing health issues. We are extremely grateful to our CAB collaborators for their time, wisdom, expertise and the work that they do to support community health in Houston. #MaternalHealth #CommunityHealth #MaternalCare #CommunityPartnerships

In a recent Greater Houston Community Panel survey, we asked residents how difficult it was in the past 12 months to afford housing costs, and if certain factors contributed to the difficulty they experienced. Here's what we learned: ?? Roughly 88% of those who struggled to afford their housing costs identified utility bills as a contributing factor. ?? Nearly 13% of residents moved in the past year because they felt like they could no longer afford where they were living. ?? About 60% residents are at least a little worried they will have to move in the next 12 months because they will be priced out of where they currently live. Housing Affordability and Instability snapshot: https://bit.ly/3QjBaKU

??? The housing challenges we face locally are part of a broader national crisis. As conversations about affordable housing grow more complex, the Urban Edge is launching Housing Foundations, a blog series that breaks down key concepts, programs and institutions shaping our region’s housing landscape. By building a stronger understanding of these fundamentals, we can take the first step toward improving the housing system. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, share it in the comments! Learn more about the series: https://bit.ly/4jUSwLR

??Friendly reminder to join us for our next Kinder Institute Forum. Sociologists Elizabeth Korver-Glenn and Sarah Mayorga will be in conversation with Kinder Institute Director Ruth N. López Turley about their book, “A Good Reputation: How Residents Fight for an American Barrio.” Using Houston’s Northside neighborhood as a case study, Korver-Glenn and Mayorga examine how people’s perceptions of where they live are essential to understanding urban inequality and poverty. Register here: https://bit.ly/4iDjzLb

?? Research with purpose. Become a part of the team that's moving Houston forward. Learn more at kinder.rice.edu.