Kinder Institute for Urban Research

🏠 Houston’s housing market is changing — not just in price, but in ownership, access and stability.

The 2026 State of Housing report offers a clear picture of where housing pressures are intensifying and what local leaders need to know as they plan for the future.

Discover more housing data. Read the full report.

The 2026 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston | Kinder Institute for Urban Research Many Houstonians are spending a growing portion of their income on housing, leaving less for other critical needs like food, healthcare and transportation. The seventh annual State of Housing report examines the impact of compounding pressures, offering stakeholders data-driven insights to build a m...

🏘️ What forces are shaping housing affordability, stability and growth across Houston and Harris County?

The 2026 State of Housing report offers a data-driven look at the trends affecting residents, neighborhoods and decision-makers across the region. Join Rice University’s Kinder Institute researchers and a panel of housing experts as they unpack key findings and what they mean for Houston’s future.

Register: https://riceuniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CfSJ10j9TnepkCfUr2aC-w #/registration

Medicare may be the nation’s ultimate medical safety net, but it’s not without holes.

1 in 7 older adults in Harris County go without needed care — leaving nearly 100,000 local residents missing out on essential medical support.

When coverage isn't enough: 1 in 7 older Harris County adults not getting needed medical care | Kinder Institute for Urban Research A new report by the Kinder Institute’s Center for Community and Public Health shows 1 in 7 Harris County adults age 65 or older needed medical care but did not receive it in the prior year, increasing their risk of poorer health at an already vulnerable stage of life.

🗺️ A new Kinder Institute analysis examines FEMA’s proposed floodplain map for Harris County, including where flood risk could expand and what the changes may mean for housing, infrastructure and local planning.

New FEMA map would add 200 square miles, 115K housing units to Harris County floodplains | Kinder Institute for Urban Research The federal government’s proposal for a redrawn flood map would bring nearly 200 more square miles of Harris County into floodplains, a significant expansion with implications for property owners, renters and governmental leaders, a new Kinder Institute for Urban Research analysis shows.

🏘️ The 2026 State of Housing report offers a data-driven look at the forces shaping housing affordability, stability and growth across the Houston area.

Join Rice University’s Kinder Institute and local housing experts as they unpack key findings ⬇️

https://kinder.rice.edu/event/webinar-2026-state-housing-harris-county-and-houston

🏫 As public pre-K enrollment rises across the country, education leaders are looking beyond access and asking what it takes to build stronger classrooms.

The Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium convened leaders from four metro areas to share what they’re learning through research partnerships.

🍎 See what their insights reveal about the future of early education in the Urban Edge.

What are the biggest pre-K challenges on the horizon? National education leaders weigh in. | Kinder Institute for Urban Research As enrollment in public prekindergarten programs continues to climb across the nation, education leaders are also devoting more attention to improving quality in the classroom.

🎒How can communities turn pre-K research into better outcomes for young learners?

The Kinder Institute is bringing together education experts from the nation’s leading research partnerships to share evidence-based insights on what works in early learning, what can be scaled and how school systems can use research to strengthen practice.

This webinar is designed for educators, school and district leaders, researchers and early childhood advocates interested in using research partnerships to improve outcomes for young learners.

📝Register: https://kinder.rice.edu/event/partnering-pre-k-learnings-research-practice-partnerships-around-country

A new Kinder Institute analysis of Pasadena ISD’s One-Way Dual Language program suggests that giving young students more time to learn in Spanish may support stronger progress in math, reading and grade-level readiness.

The findings point to a larger question for school systems: What happens when bilingual education is designed not as a quick transition away from a student’s home language, but as a long-term asset?

The Urban Edge explains how Pasadena ISD changed its approach, what the early results show and why researchers will continue tracking student outcomes in the years ahead.

‘We feel validated’: How Pasadena ISD’s new approach to bilingual instruction is paying off for students | Kinder Institute for Urban Research For emergent bilingual students, a little more time speaking their native language in elementary school could have big benefits later in life.

🎒Prekindergarten gives young learners a powerful head start and shapes academic success for years to come. During this webinar, experts across the United States will unpack what’s working, what’s changing and how these insights can be scaled locally to improve outcomes.

📝Register: https://kinder.rice.edu/event/partnering-pre-k-learnings-research-practice-partnerships-around-country

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Moderator
Erin Baumgartner, Director, Houston Education Research Consortium,
Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University

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Panelists
Pamela Geisler, Director, Budget and Policy, Early Education Department, San Francisco Unified School District

Lieny Jeon, Batten Bicentennial Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Virginia; Director of Early Childhood Initiatives, Baltimore Education Research Consortium

Terri Sabol, Associate Professor, Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University; Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research; Faculty
Co-Director, EC-REACH

Courtney Thrash, Researcher, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University

Laura Wentworth, Director, Research-Practice Partnership Program, California Education Partners; Director, Stanford-SFUSD Partnership

Partnering for Pre-K: Learnings From Research-Practice Partnerships Around the Country | Kinder Institute for Urban Research Join us for a dynamic exploration of the public prekindergarten (pre-K) landscape in Houston and across the country. National experts working in research-practice partnerships will dive into what’s working, what’s changing and how these insights might be scaled for local impact.

Every year, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research brings together Houston’s top leaders, advocates and philanthropists for a conversation about the region’s present and future.

In many ways, it’s a reminder of what’s possible through collective action.

Building on 45 years of data, the 2026 Kinder Houston Area Survey gave us a deeper understanding of residents’ biggest concerns, how their perspectives are changing and where their beliefs are more aligned than expected.

This work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our donors and the support of the people who use our research to make complex decisions that affect millions of Houstonians.

It’s a privilege to support the teams putting our insights to good use and strengthening Houston’s position as a model for thriving urban centers everywhere.

Thank you.