Social Sustainability in Houston
Social Sustainability aims to ensure everyone has equal access to opportunities in order to have a good life. The social sustainability model works to reduce factors that may hinder the one’s well being. Social sustainability addresses poverty, strives for the empowerment of women, works to improve education and healthcare, focuses on reducing corruption and puts an emphasis on social justice. When examining social sustainability in Houston, I noticed it was lacking one of the pillars of social sustainability, and that was in the city's inability to address the issue of poverty.
The city of Houston has seen a 7% increase in poverty, most of which is concentrated in the inner city. In comparison to the 1980’s, the poverty concentration in Houston has expanded from the city to the outer suburban regions of Houston. Not only has Houston’s poverty rate increased, but its homeless population has also increased. Seventy-eight percent of the homeless individuals that go unsheltered (individuals that do not use shelters) became homeless here in Houston, which begs the question of why and how are people becoming homeless here in Houston, and why is poverty spreading?
The city of Houston does not have any zoning regulations. There is no consistent scheme/layout here in the city, only pockets. Houston’s lack of zoning developments attributes to the issue of homelessness and the expansion of poverty throughout Houston in its entirety. Throughout the city of Houston, condos and high rise apartment buildings are being built in areas that are historically considered to be low-income areas; take the third ward for instance. When developers start building coffee shops, yoga studios, and condominiums across for your grandmother's home that she has lived in for 40+ years, it won’t be long before she relocates; her property taxes will skyrocket. Houston's city codes do not address land use which contributes to the issue of gentrification (the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.) Gentrification, then drives people out of the city and into the suburbs for cheaper housing, causing what were once middle-class areas to become low-income neighborhoods; it is a domino effect.
As for homelessness here in Houston, This phenomenon is most likely due to Houston’s high levels of economic inequality. Thirty-five percent of the homelessness here in Houston can be attributed to job loss, with other factors such as a poor income to debt ratio and high housing cost. The city has people sleeping on the streets and beneath freeway underpasses. The issue is not being addressed and is not being handled properly.
In terms of enacting a policy, Houston should look into ways of providing more affordable housing and better public assistance programs for those who are homeless, or those who are on the brink of becoming homeless. The city of Houston should also establish zoning regulations because the effects of not having them are detrimental.
The city of Houston has seen a 7% increase in poverty, most of which is concentrated in the inner city. In comparison to the 1980’s, the poverty concentration in Houston has expanded from the city to the outer suburban regions of Houston. Not only has Houston’s poverty rate increased, but its homeless population has also increased. Seventy-eight percent of the homeless individuals that go unsheltered (individuals that do not use shelters) became homeless here in Houston, which begs the question of why and how are people becoming homeless here in Houston, and why is poverty spreading?
The city of Houston does not have any zoning regulations. There is no consistent scheme/layout here in the city, only pockets. Houston’s lack of zoning developments attributes to the issue of homelessness and the expansion of poverty throughout Houston in its entirety. Throughout the city of Houston, condos and high rise apartment buildings are being built in areas that are historically considered to be low-income areas; take the third ward for instance. When developers start building coffee shops, yoga studios, and condominiums across for your grandmother's home that she has lived in for 40+ years, it won’t be long before she relocates; her property taxes will skyrocket. Houston's city codes do not address land use which contributes to the issue of gentrification (the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.) Gentrification, then drives people out of the city and into the suburbs for cheaper housing, causing what were once middle-class areas to become low-income neighborhoods; it is a domino effect.
As for homelessness here in Houston, This phenomenon is most likely due to Houston’s high levels of economic inequality. Thirty-five percent of the homelessness here in Houston can be attributed to job loss, with other factors such as a poor income to debt ratio and high housing cost. The city has people sleeping on the streets and beneath freeway underpasses. The issue is not being addressed and is not being handled properly.
In terms of enacting a policy, Houston should look into ways of providing more affordable housing and better public assistance programs for those who are homeless, or those who are on the brink of becoming homeless. The city of Houston should also establish zoning regulations because the effects of not having them are detrimental.
Poverty Concentration 1980
Poverty Concentration 2010
Class & Income Diversity 2010
Class & Income Diversity 1980
Work Cited:
Holeywell, Ryan. “These Charts Show Poverty's Startling Spread Across Houston.” The Kinder
Institute for Urban Research, 2016, kinder.rice.edu/2016/11/14/these-charts-show-how-povertys-startling-spread-across-houston.
Comments
This was a very thorough, interesting blog post! I wonder if there is a solution within the no-zoning laws or is that the core problem that must change first. And, can zoning create problems such as poor neighborhoods that can never rise in property value, thus keeping the poor, poor?