ONE COMPLETE HOUSTON: An Unprecedented Dive into the City’s Equity Landscape

By Francis Page, Jr For www.StyleMagazine.com

At the Sunnyside Health and Multiservice Center today, a momentous announcement was made that marked a milestone in the city’s ongoing quest for equity. Mayor Sylvester Turner joined community and business leaders to announce the findings of the City of Houston’s first-ever equity indicator study named “One Complete Houston: Understanding Our Equity Challenges and Opportunities.”

This seminal initiative, conducted by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research with funding from Shell USA, Inc., employed equity scores to identify socioeconomic inequalities exacerbated by biases based on race, ethnicity, gender, and ZIP codes. The equity scores, rather than offering a simplistic pass-or-fail evaluation, provide a nuanced look into the various facets of the city’s equity landscape.

After thorough analysis, Houston’s overall equity score was revealed as 44.1 out of 100, signalling an urgent call for improvement. Interestingly, when juxtaposed with other cities using the Equity Indicators methodology, Houston’s score came out ahead of Dallas’s 2021 score of 38 and Tulsa’s 2022 score of 42.63. However, it lagged behind St. Louis’s 2018 score of 45.57 and Pittsburgh’s 2018 score of 55.

Despite this, the findings from “One Complete Houston” highlighted not just the challenges, but also the areas of opportunity where Houston can focus its efforts to progress towards a more equitable city. This included recommendations to adjust city policies and procedures, revise business strategies, enhance corporate environmental, social, and governance initiatives, reevaluate philanthropic investment models, and realign nonprofit missions. The aim is to eliminate any barriers limiting Houstonians’ opportunities and life circumstances. www.HoustonCC.org

At the event, Mayor Turner lauded the report’s significance, stating, “One Complete Houston sheds light on the complex causes and compounding effects of inequities and sets a foundation for developing potential solutions to those challenges.” His words embodied the city’s commitment to not only understanding but actively addressing inequities for a better, more inclusive Houston.

He further emphasized the potential inherent in every neighborhood and child across the city, affirming, “All neighborhoods have value and promise, and all kids across our city can succeed if we give them an opportunity.” His conviction serves as a powerful reminder of the shared responsibility of ensuring a brighter, more equitable future for all of Houston.

“One Complete Houston” is thus more than just a study. It’s a testament to Houston’s resolve to embrace diversity, promote equality, and ensure inclusivity and fair opportunities for every citizen. By bringing to light the city’s equity challenges, it paves the way towards transforming them into opportunities for growth, unity, and shared prosperity.