City of Houston

Next Houston mayor will have 18-month window to avert a budget crisis, top Turner adviser says

Posted on · Houston has been relying on federal COVID relief funds to close its budget deficits for the past few years. Bill Kelly, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s director of government relations, said Turner’s successor will have until mid-2025 to find another way to close that gap.

Houston Matters

New Clinics and Services Offer Help for Mental Health Crisis — But Is It Enough?

Posted on · Recently, Memorial Hermann opened its third Mental Health Crisis Clinic in Meyerland. It's a location that opens from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. so people in need in the middle of the night can access help. Oftentimes these people can find themselves incarcerated at the Harris County Jail when it's really mental health services they […]

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Grier Exit Interview and “Oops” Moments in Politics: Tuesday’s Show (March 1, 2016)

Posted on · On Monday (Feb. 29, 2016), Terry Grier completed his final day as superintendent of the Houston Independent School District. He announced last September that he would resign before his contract his is up in June. Deputy Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Ken Huewitt has been named the district’s interim superintendent. After nearly seven years at […]

Houston Matters

Court Helps Veterans Who’ve Committed Felonies

Posted on · On this Veterans Day, we learn about the Harris County Veterans Treatment Court, which has helped rehabilitate more than 170 military veterans who committed felonies in the last six years. We talk with Mary Covington, program director for the Harris County Veterans Treatment Court, and Bill Kelly, director of government affairs and public policy at […]

Houston Matters

With Psychiatric Hospital Closure, Is there a Gap in Houston Mental Health Services?

Posted on · Last week, Cambridge Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric facility in Houston, closed down. While the hospital had space for 148 patients, Harris County Psychiatric Center COO Steve Glazier tells the Houston Chronicle he believes it was probably only serving 30 to 40. The Texas Department of State Health Services says the hospital surrendered its state license […]

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HB2 Showdown and Sports Rivalries: Monday’s Show (July 20, 2015)

Posted on · Late last month, and for a 2nd time, the U.S. Supreme Court put implementation of HB2 on hold. The High Court may now decide in its next term to hear a case challenging if the controversial legislation creates an undue burden for Texas women seeking abortions. House Bill 2, passed back in July of 2013, […]

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Texas Mental Health Hospitals, Personal Finance, and Astros on the Rise: Houston Matters for Monday, June 9, 2014

Posted on · Last month, the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, which is tasked with identifying and eliminating inefficiencies in state government, released a critical report on the Texas Department of State Health Services. The report characterizes the state’s mental health hospital system as being "in crisis,” adding that "individuals waiting to enter the state mental health hospital system […]