More than 765,000 older Texans are struggling to cover housing costs
A new Harvard University study found an increase in the number of Texas households headed by people 65 or older spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Advocates say keeping older adults housed will require substantial public investment and reforms.
Colony Ridge developer defends Houston-area community as state leaders vow action against it
GOP leaders claim the development markets to undocumented people and is plagued by crime. One of its owners refutes the allegations and says heโs ready to show lawmakers that Colony Ridge isnโt different than any other rural Texas community.
Billions in property tax cuts need Texas votersโ approval before taking effect. Hereโs what you need to know.
Legislation passed this month would raise the stateโs homestead exemption to $100,000, lower schoolsโ tax rates and put an appraisal cap on residential and commercial properties, among other measures. But voters must approve a constitutional amendment first.
Texas House and Senate reach a deal on how to cut property taxes
The deal would channel $12 billion to reduce the school property tax rate for homeowners and business properties, increase the homestead exemption, and create a pilot program to reduce taxes on certain residential and commercial properties. The legislation is expected to pass later this week.
Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan join forces on property taxes. It might help the push for school vouchers.
Phelan announced the formation of a House committee that could set the tone in favor of vouchers ahead of an expected special session on education. The move comes weeks after Abbott sided with Phelan on a plan to lower property taxes.
Why tax policy experts fear the Texas House plan to lower property taxes could have dire ripple effects
Both the House and the Senateโs proposals on property tax cuts would give modest savings to the typical Texas homeowner, but critics say the House plan could create vast inequities and disproportionately benefit wealthy homeowners.
The Texas House and Senate differ on how to cut property taxes. Hereโs what their proposals say.
Cuts to school property tax bills. Bigger tax benefits for homeowners. A controversial idea to limit property tax growth. Hereโs what you need to know about the brewing property tax debate at the Texas Legislature.
Texas Rent Relief application portal closing Thursday after flood of requests for assistance โfar exceeded available fundingโ
The Texas Rent Relief Program announced Wednesday that it will be closing its application portal early due to the overwhelming amount of submissions which flooded in just 24 hours after reopening.
Houston wanted to lead the nation in long-term affordable housing. Now itโs backpedaling.
Houstonโs community land trust was once touted as an innovative way to address its housing crisis. But city leaders slashed its funding by half as bureaucracy bogged down the program and enthusiasm dwindled.
On the margins of downtown San Antonio, a maligned neighborhood mobilizes to save itself
Born of segregation and redlining, the near West Side has long been mostly Latino, mostly low-income. Redevelopment pressures are closing in, and neighbors are working to keep it affordable for some of the cityโs poorest residents.
Why some Texas cities and counties had to return millions of dollars meant to help renters during the pandemic
For some local relief programs, a lack of staffing, political support and effective community outreach got in the way of spending federal funds to prevent evictions, a new report found. More than $30 million went unspent and had to be returned.
A neighborhoodโs new anti-Section 8 rules will push many Black residents out of a North Texas suburb
Landlords in Texas donโt have to accept renters who receive federal housing assistance, but a Denton County community is taking it a big step further: making most of the town off limits to Section 8 tenants.
Texas Legislature holds interim charge hearing on Texas housing crisis
The Texas House of Representatives Committee on Urban Affairs held an interim charge hearing on the housing crisis in Texas, barriers to the development of more housing, and legislative solutions to lower the cost of housing for Texas families and businesses on Thursday morning.
Some landlords got a piece of Texasโ $2 billion in rent relief money โ and evicted their struggling tenants anyway
Itโs unclear whether landlords face any penalties from state agencies for improperly evicting tenants while receiving rent relief dollars intended to help those tenants stay housed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A year after feds allocate funds, Texas launches program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure because of COVID-19
Twenty-five states, including California and New York, preceded Texas in getting federally backed programs up and running to help homeowners suffering financial hardship because of COVID-19.
You paid HOW much over asking? Tell us your wild housing market stories here
Weโve all heard about it by now: Houses are selling like crazy (and they have been for quite some time), interest rates have been at all-time lows, and it seems like everywhere you turn, you learn of another wild real estate story.
As federal eviction moratorium expires, tenants and rent advocates scramble to obtain state and local rental relief funds
In the first phase of funding from the federal government for emergency rental assistance, Texas received about $2 billion. Now the state has to get those funds in the hands of Texans.
โThe Barndominium Ladyโ Stacee Lynn takes us inside her beautiful Cleveland, Texas โBarndoโ
HOUSTON โ Have you ever heard of a โbarndominium?โItโs the latest housing trend that adds a modern twist to small-town farm-charm. Technically, the name does the describing: โbarndominiumsโ (or โbarndosโ) are big metal or steel structures that have been transformed into beautiful living spaces. Stacee Lynn, aka โThe Barndominium Lady,โ has designed nearly 150 barndominiums all over the country, with no formal design training. She is a self-taught designer, contractor, and decoratorโฆthat designed, built, AND LIVES IN her own barndo in Cleveland, Texas. Stacee Lynn and her husband Oliver were nice enough to give us a tour of her magnificent Cleveland property, and with so many โwow!โ factors, youโre guaranteed to want one of your own.
Kicked out after Christmas? Thousands in our area face eviction - what is being done to help?
Hers is one of 16,618 cases filed in Harris County since late March. Countless Zoom meetings later, theyโve made no recommendations that have made it out of the task force. 108,076 have received at least a one-time payment from the City of Houston or Harris County since early May. Harris County Precinct One Foundation has a Free Eviction Legal Assistance Hotline you can call if you are facing eviction. All of the $60 million from Harris County has been allocated, but you can contact Catholic Charities for other resources.
This Houston-area city named one of Americaโs 5 best under-the-radar โburbs
HOUSTON โ Pasadena is one of Americaโs most affordable suburbs with a city feel, according to a report on the โCityness Indexโ created by Zillow and Yelp Inc.Pasadena offers an affordability edge over Houston. The typical home value in Pasadena is $168,080, which is about 14% lower than in Houston, according to the report. Located about 15 miles southeast of downtown Houston, Pasadena is ranked No. 5 on the list of affordable suburbs. The flexibility to work from home occasionally amid the pandemic is driving more people to consider moving, per the report.
Ask 2 Live: Facing eviction? Hereโs the advice our legal experts gave in our exclusive Zoom conversation
HOUSTON โ As the economic crisis due to COVID-19 continues, more and more Houstonians are struggling to pay their bills, put food on their tables, and keep a roof over their heads. And to make matters worse, a new CDC moratorium is more confusing than helpful. But KPRC Channel 2 is here to help. Watch: Raising โgood digital citizensโ and more from our Zoom conversation on cyberbullyingOur panel of experts answered questions to help people facing evictions. You can watch the entire discussion below:Resources from the conversationTexas HousersLone Star Legal AidEviction Defense Collaboration Hotline โ (713) 982-7340Lone Star Legal Aid direct number โ (713) 652-0077Access the CDC declaration forms in English, Spanish and VietnameseCDC suspende temporalmente los desalojos a inquilinos elegibles
Ask 2: Are students locked in to their housing contracts if classes go virtual due to COVID-19?
As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. Question: Are students locked into their housing contracts if classes go virtual due to COVID-19? Some Texas universities are waiving fees and requirements for students who chose remote learning or return home before their residential contracts expire. Students can have their cancellation fees waived if they choose to take their classes remotely. However, the University of Houston students who choose a spring-only housing option after cancelling fall housing will need to pay another $50 application fee, but do not need to pay the $300 prepayment.