With rents rising fast, Texas homeless shelters see more families seeking help
Amid rising housing costs and relentless inflation, an increasing number of Texans are struggling to pay their rent and stay in their homes. Full Story
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Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
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![Jade Barron sits inside the learning center at The Family Gateway shelter in downtown Dallas on Oct. 4, 2022.]()
Credit: Hunter Lacey for The Texas Tribune -
Pete Buttigieg blasts Texas Republicans on handling of migrants, LGBTQ rights
At the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, Buttigieg said the efforts of Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in sending migrants to Democrat-led cities are “hurting people in order to get attention.” Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks at the opening keynote with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 22, 2022 in Austin, TX.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ housing market shows signs of cooling down after the pandemic drove it to new heights
Texas had more houses on the market in July than any time since late 2020 as home sales declined in the state’s major metros. Sellers have had to cut prices to entice buyers. Full Story
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![A recently sold new home in east Longview's Mission Creek subdivision on Dec. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Texas officials accuse Harris County of slashing constables’ budgets — but they’re actually going up
Comptroller Glenn Hegar said the state could block the approval of Harris County’s budget because it’s not allowing constables to roll $3 million in unspent funds into next year’s budget — even though the constables’ total funding will go up next year. Full Story
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![Comptroller Glenn Hegar discusses the Biennial Revenue Estimate for the 2020-21 biennium at the state Capitol on Jan. 7, 2019.]()
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As monkeypox cases climb and vaccine is in short supply, some Texas cities declare an emergency
While there are currently 780 confirmed monkeypox cases statewide, Texas cities are bracing for an increase in infections. Full Story
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![Workers outside of D.C. Health's first monkeypox vaccination clinic, which was administering the first Jynneos vaccine doses distributed in the U.S. capital, in Washington, D.C. on June 28, 2022.]()
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Texas cities say streaming giants Disney, Hulu and Netflix owe them millions of dollars in unpaid fees
As people have cut cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services over the years, Texas cities say they have lost out on revenue from franchise fees they claim are owed by streaming giants like Disney, Hulu and Netflix. Full Story
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![TV remote control is seen with Netflix logo displayed on a screen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on February 6, 2022.]()
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Dallas landlord made record profits while evading eviction moratoriums, U.S. House committee says
Four corporate landlords, including Dallas-based Invitation Homes, tried to evict thousands of tenants during a federal ban on evictions, according to an investigation by a congressional subcommittee. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the Kelly Village housing complex in Houston on Sept. 16, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Homeless Texans left with few places to cool off during record heat
Heat-related emergency calls have spiked amid historic heat. Cooling centers are available in major cities but often close in the late afternoon — during the hottest parts of the day. Full Story
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![Michelle Smith, Outreach and Engagement Manager at The Bridge, hands a health kit to a homeless man sleeping outside of the Dallas Public Library in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, July 21, 2022. (Emil Lippe for The Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Emil Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
A neighborhood’s new anti-Section 8 rules will push many Black residents out of a North Texas suburb
Landlords in Texas don’t have to accept renters who receive federal housing assistance, but a Denton County community is taking it a big step further: making most of the town off limits to Section 8 tenants. Full Story
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![Evora Sykes, left, and Evettet Townsend arrange Evora’s belongings on the front porch of her home in Providence Village on June 30, 2022.]()
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At Texas Democratic Party convention, recognition of high stakes and a tough road ahead
Attendees in Dallas seemed energized by the state’s abortion ban, lax gun laws and power grid failures. But they also knew they face major headwinds. Full Story
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![An attendee claps during the general caucus of the Texas Democratic Convention at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas on July 15, 2022.]()
Credit: Kylie Cooper/The Texas Tribune