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In April 2024, the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice hosted the first Affordable Housing and Economic Opportunity Workshop. This pivotal event, held in collaboration with the University of Houston's Community Design Resource Center (CDRC) and Friends of Columbia Tap, featured the launch of Houston's inaugural Affordable Housing Dashboard. Graduate Research Assistant Ed Pettitt and GIS Data Manager Naomi Yoder were instrumental in this project, working closely with the GIS Lab at the University of Texas School of Public Health. The dashboard was developed to offer residents and advocates a powerful tool to track properties designated for affordable housing, including those in Houston's Third Ward under the oversight of the Midtown Redevelopment Authority.
During the workshop, Naomi Yoder led a session on using the dashboard for community-based research and advocacy. Yoder emphasized how this tool could be leveraged to not only access critical housing data but also to foster greater transparency and accountability within the community. Participants were encouraged to engage actively by providing feedback on the dashboard, ensuring that it evolves to better serve the needs of those it was designed to help. "We see this as just the beginning," Yoder remarked, "This dashboard is a tool in our collective toolbox, one that we can refine together to make it even more impactful."
Following the success of this initiative, the Bullard Center is excited to invite the community to the upcoming "Housing and Economic Opportunity Workshop: The Sequel," scheduled for Saturday, October 12th, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM at the historic Eldorado Ballroom, 2310 Elgin St, 77004. This workshop will continue the conversation on housing advocacy, providing new insights and further enhancing the tools available to the community. We welcome everyone to join and contribute to this important dialogue about shaping the future of housing in Houston. Save the date and be part of the change!
The Affordable Housing Dashboard is available under the 'Resources' tab on the Bullard Center website.