Skip to content
 
TV 8 Guide
News 88.7
Classical
Mixtape

Donate

Menu
  • News & Information
    • Back
    • Features
      • Today in Houston Newsletter
      • Coronavirus News and Resources
      • inDepth
      • Storm Ready
    • Topics
      • Local News
      • Statewide News
      • Business
      • Education News
      • Energy & Environment
      • Health & Science
      • Immigration
      • Politics
      • Transportation
      • All Stories >>>
    • Arts & Culture
      • Arts & Culture Main
      • Voices and Verses: A Poem-A-Day Series
      • Classical Music
      • Music
      • Opera & Musical Theater
      • Dance
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Theatre & Film
    • Awareness
      • Hispanic Heritage
      • Pride Month: Better Together!
      • Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage
      • Black History
      • Women’s History
  • Education
    • Back
    • At Home Learning
    • For Grown Ups
    • For Kids
    • Spelling Bee
    • Writers Contest
  • Programs & Podcasts
    • Back
    • Local Programs
      • I SEE U with Eddie Robinson
      • Town Square with Ernie Manouse
      • Houston Matters with Craig Cohen
      • Red, White and Blue
      • Texas Standard
    • UH
      • 100 Years of Houston
      • Bauer Business Focus
      • Briefcase
      • Engines of Our Ingenuity
      • Health Matters
      • UH Moment
    • Features
      • Career Frontier
    • Podcasts
      • Party Politics
      • Skyline Sessions
      • Encore Houston
      • All Podcasts >>
  • About
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Join the Team
    • Contact Us
    • Ethics and Standards
    • Reports/Financials
    • Press Room
  • Support
    • Back
    • Membership
      • Update Payment Method
      • Upgrade Your Monthly Gift
    • Giving Programs
      • Studio Society
      • Affinity Council
      • In Tempore Legacy Society
      • Innovation Fund
    • Volunteers
      • HPMF Board
      • Young Leaders Council
      • Mission Ambassadors
    • Partnerships
      • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Other Ways to Give
      • Vehicle Donation
      • Employee Match Program
      • More Ways to Give >>
  • PBS Passport
  • Kids!
  • UH
    • Back
    • Commitment
    • Main
    • About UH
    • Academics
    • Admissions
    • Student Life
    • Research
    • Arts
    • Athletics
    • News & Events

Jen Rice

Reporter

Jen Rice is the City Hall reporter at Houston Public Media, where she covers topics like Houston City Council and housing. Jen was born and raised in Houston’s 100-year floodplain. She graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University and has a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Support Comes From

Most Viewed

  • Lina Hidalgo accuses DA Kim Ogg of election year politics in COVID outreach contract investigation

  • In the Texas AG Republican primary runoff, it’s Ken Paxton’s legal troubles vs. George P. Bush’s family name

  • Lina Hidalgo says she expects to be targeted next in what she calls a political investigation by Kim Ogg

  • Texas’ grid operator told a power plant to delay repairs ahead of a May heat wave. It was among six that crashed.

  • Early voting for the primary runoffs starts Monday. Here’s what you need to know

Support Comes From

Criminal Justice

After secret negotiations, Houston City Council will vote on a new contract with the police union. Here’s what’s in it

Jen Rice

Posted on March 21, 2022 · Union members have already voted to approve the agreement.

Tags houston city council Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner houston police officers union Houston Police Reform Task Force hpou

Policing

After negotiations away from the public eye, Houston has a new contract with the police union

Jen Rice

Posted on March 15, 2022 · With negotiations happening in secret, there's also less transparency regarding a potential conflict of interest on city council this year.

Tags Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Houston Police Department houston police officers union hpd hpou

Flooding

Houston snubbed in Houston-Galveston Area Council’s flood mitigation funding plan

Jen Rice

Posted on February 15, 2022 · The city of Houston will receive only 2% of the nearly $500 million in federal flood mitigation funding.

Tags flood mitigation Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner houston-galveston area council

Politics

Meet the primary candidates running for Harris County’s justice of the peace seats

Jen Rice

Posted on February 14, 2022 · Here's why candidates say they're running to serve as the judges who preside over evictions, truancy cases and small civil disputes.

Tags early voting eviction JPs justice of the peace renters

Housing

Houston eviction courts are packed again as numbers return to pre-COVID levels

Jen Rice

Posted on January 27, 2022 · With the increase in eviction filings comes crowded courtrooms, despite the risk of COVID-19 spreading.

Tags COVID-19 eviction housing Houston evictions justice of the peace Nathan hecht Texas Eviction Diversion Program texas supreme court

Q&A

Texas eviction protections have ended. The state’s chief justice talks about what’s next

Jen Rice

Posted on January 27, 2022 · Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht talks to Houston Public Media about his recent New York Times op-ed praising Texas' eviction protections, and his goal for courts going back to normal.

Tags COVID-19 eviction Nathan hecht renter's rights texas supreme court

The Coronavirus in Greater Houston

Houston fire and police staff still have the lowest COVID-19 vaccine compliance rates among city employees, records show

Jen Rice

Posted on January 12, 2022 · Mayor Sylvester Turner's requirement has been in effect since October.

Tags Coronavirus COVID-19 houston fire department Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Houston Police Department

Politics

Texas landlords must now disclose flood risk information to renters. Housing experts say it doesn’t go far enough

Jen Rice

Posted on January 10, 2022 · Housing experts say the new law is a good first step to inform renters of flood risk, but will need more work in the future.

Tags Armando Walle flooding homebuyers Hurricane Harvey landlords renter's rights renters Tiffany Thomas

housing

Houston-area community land trusts could help fill a widening gap in housing affordability

Jen Rice

Posted on December 17, 2021 · Programs like the Houston Community Land Trust aim to help residents buy homes and keep them affordable, while also breaking down misconceptions about affordable housing.

Tags affordable housing housing The Houston Community Land Trust

City Hall

Houston fire and police staff have the lowest COVID-19 vaccine compliance rates among city employees, records show

Jen Rice

Posted on December 2, 2021 · City employees have had over six weeks to comply with the mayor’s COVID-19 order.

Tags COVID vaccines COVID-19 hfd houston fire department Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Houston Police Department houston vaccine mandate hpd

Politics

Houston won’t hire outside lawyers to investigate Mayor Turner’s ethics allegations

Jen Rice

Posted on December 1, 2021 · The council voted unanimously not to pursue an independent investigation into whether Turner tried to influence a competitive affordable housing process in order to steer millions to a favored developer.

Tags Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Tom McCasland

Politics

A Houston affordable housing program is now on hold, following a state review

Jen Rice

Posted on November 23, 2021 · The Texas General Land Office released the findings of its investigation into the city’s housing department, following ethics allegations against Mayor Sylvester Turner from the city's former housing director.

Tags affordable housing city hall GLO Harvey Multifamily Program huntington at bay area Mayor Sylvester Turner Tom McCasland

Housing

Montgomery County leaders returned $7 million in unspent rent relief. Residents are still getting evicted

Jen Rice

Posted on November 18, 2021 · County Judge Mark Keough said there’s been minimal demand for county funds, but others said that’s because the county didn’t make it available to renters.

Tags mark keough montgomery county pandemic economy pandemic recovery rent relief

Politics

Galveston County officials approve controversial redistricting plan, removing the sole minority represented precinct

Jen Rice

Posted on November 15, 2021 · The vote will likely cost the seat of Precinct 3 Commissioner Stephen Holmes, the only Black member of the court and the only Democrat.

Tags Commissioner Stephen Holmes county redistricting Galveston County

Education News

Rice University named its first Black and foreign-born president in the school’s history

Jen Rice

Posted on November 12, 2021 · He'll be the first immigrant, the first Black man and first engineer to become Rice's president.

Tags David Leebron Reginald DesRoches rice university William Marsh Rice

View More Stories
Houston Public Media

Houston Public Media

  • About
  • Careers
  • Commitment
  • TV
  • Radio
  • News
  • Shows

Compliance

  • CPB Compliance
  • FCC Station Information
  • FCC Applications
  • KUHF Public File
  • KUHT Public File
  • Ethics and Standards
  • Privacy Policy
  • Additional Disclosures

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Today in Houston

Let the Houston Public Media newsroom help you start your day.

This Week

Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week.

Contact Us

4343 Elgin, Houston, TX 77204-0008

Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston

Copyright © 2022