Written by guest writer Shaili Shouche, Avenue Intern and incoming senior at Glenda Dawson High School.   A healthy and appropriately developed learning environment holds a significant variety of benefits for all of its associated members. Specifically for students and children, surroundings that are clean and simple serve as a...

Written by guest writer Shaili Shouche, Avenue Intern and incoming senior at Glenda Dawson High School.   Nature plays a crucial, yet often underestimated, role in improving children’s psychological and physical well-being. On a broader spectrum, nature can impact student learning in numerous diverse ways, as it holds significance in...

Janet Griggs is a longtime resident of Houston’s Northside and a retired postal service worker. Mrs. Griggs is mobility impaired, uses a walker and a wheelchair while her husband relies on oxygen. Their home has been impacted by all of the recent storms in Houston, and when the Winter Storm...

A homestead exemption is one of the easiest ways for homeowners to lower their property tax bill, and the deadline to submit exemption applications is APRIL 30. What is a homestead exemption and why should I apply? Homestead exemptions are a form of tax relief. They remove/reduce part of the...

When Winter Storm Uri knocked out the water and power for households across the state of Texas, the community around Northline Elementary School was especially affected. The COVID-19 pandemic had already put a strain on resources for families struggling financially, and the effects of the storm only made it worse....

Avenue has completed the Neighborhood LIFT program, which began in March, 2019. LIFT is a unique down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and administered nationally by NeighborWorks America.  The program selects different markets around the country for a one-time pot of funds to...

(Photo Credit: Jon Shapley/Courtesy The Houston Chronicle)

In celebration of Black History Month, we wanted to highlight two influential Black leaders who have played an important role in Avenue’s history and inspire the work we continue to do in the housing and community development space. Dorothy Richardson is a name that is familiar to a lot of...

A growing wave of scam activity is targeting homeowners and renters alike. Facing the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners and renters are navigating financial and legal stressors regarding their housing. Many do not realize they’re also at risk of misinformation and housing scams until it’s too late. The...

Before finding Avenue Station, an affordable apartment community in Houston's Near Northside, Paola Martinez and her three children lived in cramped, substandard housing where they shared a single bedroom for more than a year. She did not feel safe in that area of town and worried about how their living...