Home insurance costs are soaring in Texas and new research suggests home insurance premiums are playing an increasingly important role in housing affordability across the state.
When homeowners insurance is factored into the cost of homeownership, nearly two-thirds of Texas households can no longer afford the median-priced home in their county, according to a new report from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University and Texas 2036, a statewide public policy organization.
Many Texans 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 more resilient region.
Steve Sherman is the associate director of research at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research Center for Housing and Neighborhoods at Rice University.
Texas Juvenile Justice
A new analysis confirms that many of the harmful conditions inside the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s five state secure facilities that the Department of Justice deemed unconstitutional in 2024 persist.
The report Behind the Concrete Walls: Uncovering Conditions in Texas’ Five Youth Prisons compiles publicly available data, original research, and firsthand accounts from youth, parents, and a former facility staff member.
The report shows that chronic staffing shortages contribute to unsafe conditions like violence, in part through overuse of force, and also restricted educational programming.
The report also reveals children's clear mental health distress.
TJJD has the highest staff turnover rates of any Texas state agency. From fiscal year (FY) 2019 to 2025, turnover rates for juvenile correctional officers (JCOs) increased in all five facilities, and vacancy rates increased in all but one facility.
In FY 2025, TJJD reported a turnover rate of 69% for juvenile correctional officers, 30% for case managers, 14% for mental health providers, and 18% for education staff. The number of JCOs with more than three years of experience has declined significantly, impacting the quality and delivery of services, as well as the safety of staff and youth.
Brett Merfish, is an attorney and the Director of Youth Justice for Texas Appleseed.
Inside TEXITcoin
Take the mania of cryptocurrency and mix in the vibe of the Texas Nationalist Movement and you get TEXITcoin. It’s a blockchain digital currency that has run into trouble with the law.
On Monday the Texas State Securities Board will present its fraud enforcement case against TEXITcoin.
