Houston’s tax rate will remain unchanged for 2026.

The big picture: Houston City Council voted to approve a tax rate of $0.519190 per $100 valuation, which is the same rate that was adopted last year.

That means a property with a taxable value of $340,000 would owe about $1,765.25 annually in city property taxes under the approved rate of $0.519190 per $100 of taxable value.

Mayor John Whitmire emphasized that now is not the time to raise tax rates.

“Addressing the public's concerns about affordability, that is the concern,” Whitmire said. “Cost of gas, cost of rent, food. This is no time for the city of Houston to raise taxes—I'm committed that we will not do so.”

Put in perspective: Although the rate remained unchanged, some council members asked whether the city would eventually have to raise the rate to afford improvements.

Other council members agreed that eventually there would need to be a conversation about raising the tax rate to address budget gaps.

A new online marketplace called Shef launched in Houston this month, connecting residents with local chefs who prepare and deliver fresh, homemade meals.

The specifics: Houston is the 10th market to join the platform. The service offers 1,351 diverse dishes from 60 different cuisines, allowing customers to choose meals by cuisine or preference, such as high-protein, vegetarian, gluten-free, GLP-1 friendly and kid-approved.

How it works: To use the service, customers select their zip code, household size, weekly meal count, diet preferences, proteins and favorite cuisines. Shef then recommends meals made by nearby chefs for delivery during the week.

One more thing: Weekly meal subscriptions start at 4 meals per week and cost $35 for the first week.

Shef is available for residents across the Greater Houston area, including Houston proper and cities such as Bellaire, Pasadena, Clear Lake, Cypress, Katy and Spring/Klein. Service also extends into Fort Bend County, including Sugar Land, Missouri City, Pearland and Friendswood.

The Knowles-Rowland House held its ribbon-cutting to open as permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals in Midtown on Oct. 13.

Beyoncé, along with her mother, Tina, and daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony held at St. John’s Downtown, the church the Knowles family attended.

About the program: The facility has 31 single-occupancy units equipped with a full-sized bathroom, a kitchen and a sleeping area. It also has on-site resident service coordinators, who will help residents with access to services such as mental health counseling, substance use treatment, transportation assistance and access to food. 

Quote of note: “We know homelessness is going to be even more of a challenge as housing costs continue to rise, as employment begins to fracture, there will be more people falling through the cracks,” Pastor Rudy Rasmus said. “What we’re doing is taking steps to help people not fall through the cracks.” 

One more thing: Officials said that residents will be completely moved into the facility by Nov. 1.

Texas-based healthcare company Harbor Health is acquiring 27 Village Medical clinics in Greater Houston.

The overview: The two groups have signed an agreement, and the transaction is expected to close at the end of the year.

Key details of the acquisition include:

• The clinics span locations in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris and Montgomery counties.

• Village Medical will continue to operate under its name, and clinic patients do not need to take any action.

• The clinics will continue to accept their current insurance plans.

• After the acquisition, Harbor Health will operate nearly 70 clinics across Texas.

The details: Harbor Health plans have no deductible, and referrals are covered at no cost. Enrollment for Harbor's individual and family plans will begin Nov. 1, with coverage effective Jan. 1. Large employer plans are also available.