Kinder Institute Reports and Presentations
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Item Metadata only What 'Home' Means to Residents in the Houston Area(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Niznik, Aaron; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen P.; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Potter, Dan; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, LeeThe idea of “home” is a multidimensional concept that encapsulates a variety of meanings, ranging from psychological orientations and physical locations to the relationships that unfold within. In the summer of 2024, members of the Greater Houston Community Panel were surveyed and asked, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘home’?” and given an open space to write 1-2 sentences to describe what came to mind. This snapshot explores the ways in which area residents conceptualize home. In short, residents organized their thinking into four broad categories: 1) psychological orientations/attachments, 2) geographical location/built environment, 3) social relationships, and 4) activities. Additionally, while most residents have positive associations with home, some do not feel “at home” and associate the word with negative experiences, highlighting the fluid nature of home in the context of high stress.Item Metadata only Safety Climate in the Houston Fire Department(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Dawson, Lauren; Niznik, Aaron; Potter, DanIn summer 2023, the Houston Fire Department (HFD) partnered with Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research in order to better understand the safety climate of its department. In the workplace, safety climate refers to employees’ shared perceptions of their organization’s safety policies, procedures, and practices, and the types of behaviors that are supported and rewarded by leadership. Safety climate is predictive of actual safety behaviors in the workplace as well as safety-related outcomes, such as injuries, fatalities, and near-misses (Jiang et al., 2018; Beus et al., 2010). By better understanding the climate at its stations, HFD sought to take steps to improve its safety culture in order to create a safer workplace for its first responders, whose jobs often place them in unsafe situations.Item Metadata only Coffee & Quality Case Study #3: Wesley Community Center(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Williams, Lee; Potter, Daniel; Dawson, Lauren; Davison, Jessica; Prucnal, KellyThe Kinder Institute for Urban Research and United Way of Greater Houston created a program called Coffee & Quality Case Study that works with designated United Way organizations to 1) identify ways to build and bolster the organization's current data-collecting practices and 2) use data to understand and improve program outcomes. The third Coffee & Quality Case Study focused on Wesley Community Center, a social service agency that supports individuals in the Near Northside and broader Houston community across a number of domains, including basic needs, child development, education, senior support, and financial opportunity.Item Metadata only An Overview of Houston’s Perceived and Actual Preparedness for the 2024 Hurricane Season(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) DeLisi, Anna G.; Potter, D.To better understand Houston and Harris County residents’ experiences with and attitudes toward disaster preparedness, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research surveyed over 5,000 residents across the region in the spring of 2024 and in the weeks following Hurricane Beryl. This report provides a descriptive overview of disaster preparedness in the region ahead of and during the 2024 hurricane season, as well as additional contextual information about how institutions prepared specifically for Beryl. These observations are used to build a set of recommendations aimed at improving preparedness in the future.Item Metadata only Houston Residents and Their Pets(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Goolsby, Karen PrenAccording to a recent nationwide poll, more than 87 million households have at least one pet, and in nearly all of them, pets are viewed as part of the family, providing companionship, emotional support, and opportunities for social interaction (Megna, 2024). The Houston metropolitan area ranked fourth in the country for share of households with dogs and eighth for cats in 2021 (Jordan, 2022). This brief takes a closer look at who has pets in Houston and Harris County, including further exploring the different types and number of pets people have, as well as the self-reported benefits that come with having them.Item Metadata only Houston and Harris County Disaster Preparedness and Attitudes Leading Up to the 2024 Hurricane Season(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) DeLisi, Anna G.; Dawson, Lauren; Njeh, JoyInformed by the existing literature, this research study will examine the current levels of both perceived and actual disaster preparedness among Houston and Harris County residents, as well as contextual and socio-cognitive predictors of each. The findings can be used to inform actions aimed at improving disaster preparedness and response efforts in the Greater Houston area.Item Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Residents Living in the Houston Area: A Data Snapshot(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Potter, Daniel; Perez, KatherineThis brief provides a descriptive overview of the demographic composition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight individuals in Houston.Item Barriers to Mental Health Care Services Reported by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Straight Residents of Houston and Harris County(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Potter, Daniel; Perez, KatherineThis study uses data from about 4,200 residents in Houston and Harris County residents to explore mental health care service use by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight individuals.Item 89th Texas Legislative Session: Priorities and Policy Views(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Valikhanova, Aiganym; Dawson, Lauren; Delisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Potter, Daniel; Simburger, Dylan; Williams, LeeThe Texas legislature’s 89th regular session commenced on January 14, 2025, and will run until June 2, 2025. During this 140-day legislative period, the state legislature will introduce and vote on bills, resolutions, and emergency matters. School vouchers, public school funding, water supply, and cannabis regulations are some of the key issues in this session. To evaluate public expectations for this legislative session and support for proposed policies, residents in Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery Counties who are part of the Greater Houston Community Panel were asked about their top priorities for state legislators and how strongly they support or oppose the proposed issues.Item Financial Knowledge, Banking, and Fintech in Houston and Harris County(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Potter, Daniel; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, LeeFinancial literacy and access to capital through a bank are both related to improved economic well-being. To better understand these issues, the Greater Houston Community Panel (GHCP) asked residents of Houston and Harris County, Texas, to report on their financial knowledge, use of banks, and use of more modern financial technology applications (fintech). This report provides a snapshot of the findings.Item 2024 Storm Impacts in Houston and Harris County: A Descriptive Overview(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Njeh, Joy; Simburger, DylanThis study looks at Houston residents' experiences both immediately and in the aftermath of the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl. It also examines the cumulative impact of the weather events, focusing on the proportion of residents affected by more than one storm and how these experiences may have overlapped.Item Housing Affordability and Instability(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Potter, Dan; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Pren, Karen; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, LeeThis snapshot looked at housing affordability and instability in the Houston area. Residents were asked how difficult it was in the past 12 months to afford housing costs, and if certain factors such as increasing rents or utility bills, contributed to the difficulty they experienced. Residents were also asked whether the challenges they faced had forced them to move in the past year.Item Beyond Dollars and Cents: Exploring Budgeting, Saving, and Financial Security in the Houston Area(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Njeh, Joy; Niznik, Aaron; Potter, DanThis study explores Harris County residents’ financial security, looking at their budgeting and saving practices, barriers people face to budgeting and saving, and how these practices relate to someone being able to withstand economic shocks.Item Coffee & Quality Case Study #2: Alexander Jewish Family Service(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the United Way of Greater Houston, 2024) Potter, Dan; Williams, Lee; Perez, Katherine; Davison, JessicaThe Kinder Institute for Urban Research and United Way of Greater Houston created a program called Coffee & Quality Case Study that works with designated United Way organizations to 1) identify ways to build and bolster the organization's current data-collecting practices and 2) use data to understand and improve program outcomes. The second Coffee & Quality Case Study focused on Alexander Jewish Family Services, a nonprofit working with individuals of all ages located in southwest Houston.Item Voting Intention and Election Concerns in Advance of the 2024 U.S. General Election(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Potter, Daniel; Dawson, LaurenAhead of the 2024 U.S. general election in November, the Kinder Institute surveyed eligible Houston and Harris County voters about their intention to vote. This study also looks at voters' concerns about the election that may impact their intention to vote.Item Neighborhood Opportunity Mapping(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Sherman, Stephen Averill; Rhodes, Anna; Njeh, Joy; Banerjee, Debolina; Kim, AndrewIn December 2023, the Houston Housing Authority (HHA) received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund a household mobility program that would expand the number of affordable housing options for people who rely on housing choice vouchers. Specifically, the grant aims to move voucher families to “opportunity neighborhoods” or “opportunity areas,” which have high-performing schools, low crime rates, access to jobs, and other characteristics that promote the broader goal of upward mobility for low-income residents. Kinder Institute for Urban Research staff assisted in data collection and analysis, measuring key indicators on poverty, education, crime, jobs, and transportation to identify high-opportunity areas within HHA’s jurisdiction.Item Housing Repair Needs Reported by Residents of Houston and Harris County(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Glanzer, Anna; Houston Population Research Center teamThe Kinder Institute surveyed Houston and Harris County residents in targeted neighborhoods about the condition of their homes and neighborhoods. Better understanding who needs housing repairs, and in which neighborhoods those needs exist can offer insights into a potential catalyst of disparities in wealth, health, and well-being in the area.Item Houston and Harris County Residents' Experiences with Perceived Crimes and Incidents Motivated by Bias and Prejudice(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Perez, Katherine; Potter, DanielAgainst a backdrop of concern for crime and low levels of hate crime reporting, residents in Houston and Harris County were asked about their experiences being the victim of a crime or other unwanted incident (or both), and whether they perceived those experiences being motivated by bias or prejudice towards one of their actual or perceived characteristics. Additionally, for residents who reported being the victim of a crime or incident they perceived as being motivated by bias or prejudice, they were also asked if they reported the incident to the police or other local law enforcement, and if not, what stopped them from reporting.Item Consequences of the Pandemic on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adults in Houston(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Perez, Katherine; Potter, DanielTo better understand the circumstances and lived experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the Houston area, the Kinder Institute surveyed 4,200 residents about their health and livelihood. This study analyzes the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on their mental health and well-being.Item The 2024 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Sherman, Stephen Averill; Kim, Andrew; Niznik, Aaron; Glanzer, Anna; Tobin, Alec; Potter, DanielThe 2024 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston report explores the implications of increasing homeownership costs in the region. The report is divided into three chapters looking at where and who are homeowners, housing affordabliity and gentrification indicators.