Why families are leaving Alief — and what could bring them back

Houston’s Alief neighborhood is experiencing a 7% population decline, driven by high eviction rates and limited housing options.

HOUSTON — Once one of Houston’s fastest-growing and most diverse neighborhoods, Alief is now shrinking — and residents are raising concerns about what’s driving families away.

KHOU 11 News is taking a closer look at Alief’s 7% population decline between 2018 and 2023. We’ve previously reported that Alief ISD has lost around 7,000 students over the past seven years. So why are people leaving one of Houston’s largest and most diverse neighborhoods? KHOU 11 News looked into the reasons behind the decline — and the solutions now being explored.

Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and Alief has long been a reflection of that diversity.

“You can find any, any kind of person here in Alief and the food. Right, like it’s here. So, I think you should capitalize on those immigrant communities,” said Edidiong Obot.

Now, Alief’s population is shrinking. U.S. Census data points to falling birth rates and migration, but Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas says those numbers may not tell the full story.

“We have individuals that choose not to participate in the census, which is also an indicator of where business goes. We need to make sure that people are counted and that they know that they exist and that those services are needed,” said Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas of District F.

Paul Alvarez has lived in Alief for more than 30 years.

“So, you lived in Alief your whole life?”

“I would say I am family. Yeah. I wasn’t born here, but this is where I was raised. This is part of the fabric of who I am,” Alvarez said.

He believes more boots on the ground would help residents feel valued and heard.

“We need to make sure that the City Hall is also involved in our community. They come out here. Listen to the people, understand what’s going on. We can’t rely just on Tiffany Thomas and the mayor. We need to rely on each other,” said Alvarez.

Councilwoman Thomas says high eviction rates across several Alief ZIP codes are a major factor pushing families out.

“As housing chair of the city and in my first term, watching the global pandemic, managing the eviction crisis, many of our families have been experiencing eviction. The eviction crisis is still something that is impacting families wage and income,” said Thomas.

Rising costs paired with stagnant wages are also forcing some Alief ISD families to leave, contributing to declining enrollment numbers.

“Alief ISD we are close partners. And having a conversation around homelessness in the community, they raised the flag that many of the families, when they’re going to those apartment complex servicing those kids that may be, you know, needing school at home. They’re being met with eviction notices on the door at the apartments,” said Thomas.

On top of that, housing options remain limited.

“Many of our subdivisions have not yet hit that cycle where you’re seeing new development come in,” said Thomas.

That’s one reason people like Obot, who grew up in Alief, chose not to move back after returning to Houston.

“In Alief they’ve got really a lot of like 1970 builds. There are pockets of new builds here and there. But there isn’t like a community of new builds,” said Obot.

“It makes it more difficult to stay here and live here when you can move to another area where they have beautiful landscaping, where you have all the amenities, all the supermarkets,” said Alvarez.

“We come into Alief to play, we hang out, we go to church, and then we live in the outskirts, you know, in other counties. The homes may be more affordable, and you get more square footage for your dollars,” said Obot.

Residents say reinvestment and revitalization efforts are key to reversing the trend.

“We need to make sure that we have programs that allow us to have the ability to improve streets, rehabilitate neighborhoods, and bring development back in,” said Alvarez.

Councilwoman Thomas says every neighborhood goes through a revitalization cycle of about 30 to 45 years, and she believes Alief is beginning that process.

“In Alief, we have invested in infrastructure projects, the neighborhood center, and all types of improvements,” said Thomas.

Just this month, Thomas says the city broke ground on a new affordable housing property off Dashwood, across from the new Alief Neighborhood Center. She also says a $28 million Bissonnet improvement project was recently approved.

“If we can stop 5,000 to 7,000 families from making the choice to leave, then we’re going to continue to do so and investing,” said Thomas.

Obot believes it will take community-wide participation to slow the exodus.

“I think a survey could happen. I think town hall meetings can happen. I think the biggest thing is that community members must really find the interest and feel invested enough to come out and find real solutions that will work,” said Obot.

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