Affordability
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Houston residents to see increased electricity bill due to CenterPoint Energy cost adjustments
The last thing most Houston residents want to hear is that an already potentially high electric bill could be even higher.
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Free Fare Fridays encourage public transit for the month of September in the Houston area
Houston public transit users can expect to see a little extra change in their pockets this month, as multiple transit agencies take part in Free Fare Fridays.
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Houston housing affordability improves but certain ZIP codes continue to see sky-high prices
While the housing market might be looking up for some, certain Houston ZIP codes are still seeing sky-high prices.
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Houston aims to improve water billing issues by replacing thousands of faulty meters
In Houston, long periods of heat often mean higher water use. But for some residents, the real shock comes in the mail—faulty meters have been misreading their water for years.
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Classroom doors open, but wallets stay empty for Texas teachers
A study found that Texas teachers spend about $100 of their own money on school supplies.
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Teachers and parents face record-breaking back-to-school costs in 2025
Another back-to-school season has arrived, bringing with it the familiar scramble of supply lists, clothes shopping, and, of course, financial stress. But this year hits different. There’s an elephant in the classroom that’s becoming impossible to ignore, and its crushing financial pressure is squeezing teachers and parents alike.
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3 back to school drives to help Houston-area families get prepared for the year
Back to school can be a tough time for any household. As summer break winds to a close, early mornings, homework, and the tedium of packing lunches loom over parents’ heads.
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Texans who rely on safety net programs encouraged to prepare for cuts
Nonprofit organizations across Texas serving disadvantaged and low-income groups are restructuring after the Trump administration’s budget reconciliation bill was signed into law.
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Harris County leader wants voters to extend child care efforts as pandemic funding runs out
Harris County leader wants voters to extend child care efforts as pandemic funding runs out By Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune Aug. 4, 2025 “Harris County leader wants voters to extend child care efforts as pandemic funding runs out” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans —…
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Houston drivers to see some cheaper toll rates starting in September
Toll payments can quickly add up on Houston roads—but drivers will soon see lower rates along SH 288. Starting Sept. 1, through the Texas Department of Transportation, rates will be lowered on SH 288 by almost half. “When TxDOT made the historic move to buy back this roadway, we promised drivers toll relief and that…
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Federal DEI funding cuts threaten the work of the few remaining Black farmers in East Texas
It has embroiled the federal government in disputes with colleges and universities. Big cities are reevaluating programs to ensure they don’t lose grants. And Fortune 500 companies seeking favor from the new administration have ended their DEI practices. And it has frozen cash flow for Black farmers, many of whom live in East Texas.
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Op-Ed: Congressional cuts feed corporate greed at expense of young people
Through a budget reconciliation process, Congress is working on extending major tax cuts originally passed in 2017 that would primarily benefit corporations and billionaires over young people.
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15 of the best Senior Discounts in Houston
These 15 senior discounts in Houston will save you money on various activities throughout the city, from museums and restaurants to transportation.
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Making it in DFW: Dallas concert photographer faked it until she made it & it worked
From Greyhound buses, Costco cameras, and getting paid in beer—to photographing Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour—Madison Truscan has proven she can make it as a concert photographer in Dallas.
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Op-Ed: A third of parents putting career plans on hold due to cost of childcare — even in Texas
We treat childcare as a personal problem that deserves private suffering, instead of political action. I spent years thinking that it was my fault. As another mom said to me: “It feels like I’m the one doing something wrong.”
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House GOP fast-tracks budget bill that would cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood
Abortion is already excluded from coverage—the new bill is going after all health care services the clinics provide for low-income Americans.
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Average Texas mortgage debt increased to $239,783 in 2024
Nationally, median home prices over the past five years have increased by nearly 50%, 30-year mortgage rates have nearly doubled, and the number of homes available for purchase have fallen by a third.
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The number of 18-year-olds is about to drop sharply, packing a wallop for colleges—and the economy
This so-called demographic cliff has been predicted ever since Americans started having fewer babies at the advent of the Great Recession around the end of 2007—a falling birth rate that has not recovered since, except for a slight blip after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
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You’re paying taxes today—but are billionaires and big corporations dodging theirs?
Congress is prioritizing the ultra-wealthy and corporate greed over everyday American people this tax season. Now, community organizations across the US are fighting back—here’s how you can get involved.
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Fair Housing Month: Discover your rights in Dallas this April
Dallas hosts Fair Housing Roadshow in April, offering free workshops on housing rights and discrimination protections across multiple neighborhoods.
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‘Striking close to home’: Zoning bills tackling Texas affordable housing crisis evoke emotion
As part of a potential slate of solutions to Texas’ housing affordability crisis, state senators recently examined a bill authorizing the use of small auxiliary residences behind a larger main house.
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Federal investigators were preparing two Texas housing discrimination cases — until Trump took over
The government spent years probing allegations that a Dallas HOA created rules to kick poor Black people out and that Texas discriminated against minority residents in Houston after Hurricane Harvey, only to suddenly reverse course under Trump.
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Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: ‘The people closest to the problem are often the ones who can find the solution’
About two years ago, tents started to show up in my neighborhood along the creek beds and in small stands of trees. Most only became visible when the leaves fell, exposing their orange rainflies and blue tarps. This increase in houselessness didn’t feel surprising to me or to my neighbors: The rent has nearly doubled…
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A surge in bee deaths is hurting Texas beekeepers — and could affect the price of produce
Commercial beekeepers in Texas have lost about two thirds of their honey bees since June last year, according to a recent survey.
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As Texas’ energy demand soars, a pilot program looks to bolster grid with “virtual power plants” fueled by people’s homes
Some Texans who install residential batteries, solar panels and smart thermostats can now send power back to the grid and get a credit on their bill.
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Taking a toll: Why tollways are the worst part about living in North Texas
North Texas tollways are becoming predatory, hurting the region’s most vulnerable residents as they shell out $100+ a month on toll fees.
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Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025.
A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate. DALLAS — Buying or renting a home in Texas used to be relatively cheap. Amid the state’s economic boom, its once-celebrated housing affordability has slipped. Texas renters now spend more on keeping a roof over their head than…
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Trump’s tariff plan would raise prices and ‘reduce the living standard of Americans,’ economists say
Trump’s plan would effectively be a sales tax that disproportionately harms working-class families and could cause a trade war that hurts US companies, economists say.
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13 wildest lies Trump told in the debate with Kamala Harris
Ex-President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris met for their first presidential debate—and Trump unleashed a barrage of lies and misleading claims.
