Three perfect days in HTX, growth forecasts, increasing our density, reducing homelessness, protesting property taxes, and more
Happy New Year/Decade everyone! Hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as I did (OC/LA w/ family). Lots of backlogged smaller items, but before we get to them, a short word about our sponsor: if one of your new year's resolutions is to save big money on electricity this year, My Best Plan is incredible at absolutely optimizing the lowest-cost electricity plan for you. I've known David over there for years (fellow Rice MBA), and his optimization algorithm is the best, bar none. And completely unbiased too, which can't be said for some of the other optimizers out there that have been uncovered as fronts for electricity marketing companies. Send him (or me) your latest electricity bill to get an estimate of your potential savings - it's free, and you have nothing to lose while potentially saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars (as he's saved me over the years).On to this week's items:
- The Greater Houston Partnership has released its 2020 Employment Forecast. Only time will tell if their vision is 20/20... (sorry, couldn't help myself! ;-)
- Report: Houston Growth Expected to be Among Best in U.S. through '23
- Texas recognized as second best state for business, while Houston expected to see key economic growth
- Forbes: Potential for United to grow its Houston hub to Latin America
- Excellent piece from Market Urbanist Scott Beyer: How Houston Is Becoming America’s Next Dense City - More Than “Just Sprawl,” Houston’s Lighter Land-Use Regulations Are Helping it Grow Up
- Speaking of density, the City is moving forward with plans to allow more density (reduced setbacks and parking) near transit, but Michael Skelly doesn't think they're going far enough. I think it's a modest start that can be expanded incrementally to minimize opposition.
- Vox: Kansas City is making its bus system fare-free. Will other cities do the same?
- CityLab: A lot on Houston's success with reducing homelessness in this piece.
- And another: Houston leads the nation in reducing homelessness. Hat tip to George.
- And one more: Texas Monthly: The Man Helping Solve Houston’s Homelessness Problem. Another hat tip to George.
- Understanding the Property Tax Protest Industry of Houston. Hat tip to Judah.
- Texas Monthly: The Evolution of the Energy Capital of the World. How Houston became the center of the Texas oil boom (and not Beaumont). " 'liberty is a right and not a privilege.' No more Houstonian words were ever spoken." Hat tip to George.
Labels: aviation, density, development, economy, energy, growth, headquarters, homelessness, identity, market urbanism, perspectives, taxes, tourism, transit, transit-oriented development, walkability
posted by Tory Gattis @ 7:49 PM
1 Comments:
Regarding this interesting article that you shared on homelessness:
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/12/trump-policy-homeless-executive-order-city-services-shelters/603670/
The following excerpt is particularly illuminating about how lacking and misguided Houston's fomenting dependence-laden approach seems to be, relative to San Antonio's:
__
Housing First runs contrary to the approach favored by (White House Czar on Homelessness) Marbut, the consultant who was named director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness last week. Marbut has pushed for shelters that set up barriers to treatment, namely sobriety. For example, at Haven for Hope, a shelter founded by Marbut in San Antonio, homeless people with substance-abuse problems must sleep outside in an exposed courtyard until they can pass a drug test.
In Houston, Temenos manages so-called wet housing: The group works with city and county officials and sobering centers to identify people struggling with long-term alcoholism and addiction who are facing chronic homelessness and give them permanent support, including three meals per day and a lease.
___
There are help-wanted ads everywhere. If these drunks & stoners won't sober up, why should we taxpayers have to subsidize such intentionally nonworking folks more than we have to?
Post a Comment
<< Home