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Homeownership is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve as interest rates and sale prices continue to rise across the nation. These hardships are pushing many residents in Houston toward renting single-family homes, creating a rise in demand.

The overview: Home prices in Houston have increased since 2020, with the median home price shooting up from $252,500 in 2020 to $337,000 in 2025, a 33% increase, according to data from the Houston Association of Realtors.

Meanwhile, in 2023, the average number of single-family rentals that were leased per month in Houston was 3,592. In 2024, it rose to 3,710, and up again in 2025 to 3,945, according to HAR.

By the numbers: The cost of renting has also proven to be more stable over the last several years when compared to the rising price of homeownership.

From 2023 to 2025, the average monthly rent in Houston only increased by roughly 4%, rising from $2,236 per month in 2023 to $2,319 in 2025, according to data from HAR.

A cat boutique store has opened in a new spot in the Woodland Heights, relocating from Yale Street to a new location on Houston Avenue.

What is it: The Kitty Bodega is a store strictly for cats. It offers products and unique supplies that ensure the health and wellness of cats. Supplies geared only toward cats include:

• Grooming bags

• Toothpaste

• Vitamin additives for home cookers

• Nutrition books

• First-aid kits

• Homeopathic remedies for common cat ailments

The Kitty Bodega also offers services like a cat apothecary and a grooming space, specifically for cats. The location also has a spot for regular seminars, like the proper way to care for stray cats and post-spay/neuter care.

Meet the owner: Angie Valasquez opened Kitty Bodega in 2022. She said she “knows more about cats than anything.”

“I’ve been doing cat rescues for two decades now and saw there was a need here in Houston,” Valasquez, who is originally from New York, said.

• 3217 Houston Ave., Houston 

As Houston prepares to see the first of seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Chris Canetti, president of the Houston Host Committee, said the city is ready for the influx of visitors expected during the tournament beginning June 14.

Quote of note: “Our greatest asset in Houston is our people,” Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First Corporation, said. “And when visitors come here ... you're not just a visitor, you're one of us. And what a great message from people from all over the world that come here, that see all the languages that are spoken here, our diversity that we welcome people, not just from the United States, but from all over the world.”

The overview: On May 11, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee gave updates from entities such as the Houston Host Committee, the airports, the Metropolitan Authority of Harris County, Downtown Houston, NRG representatives and FIFA Fan Festival representatives.

Harris County commissioners are set to receive a number of financial updates ahead of budget season on May 14 alongside over 400 additional agenda items.

The big picture: According to agenda documents, commissioners are set to receive updates from the Harris County Office of Management and Budget regarding the county's financial standings so far in fiscal year 2025-26.

Commissioners will also receive an update on the five-year financial plan to avoid additional budget shortfalls by finding ways to generate revenue and create savings opportunities.

Also on the agenda: With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, commissioners will also receive an update on security and general preparedness for the event.

Stay tuned: Harris County Commissioners Court meetings are held at 9 a.m. in Downtown Houston. The administration building is located at 1001 Preston St., Houston.

Roughly 76,000 fewer students were enrolled in Texas public schools this academic year than the year prior, according to May 11 report.

The overview: The 2025-26 school year marks the second recorded enrollment drop in recent history, according to Texas Education Agency data collected since the 1987-88 academic year. The first decline happened in the 2020-21 school year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hispanic students accounted for 81% of the enrollment loss in the 2025-26 school year, the policy research group Texas 2036 found.

The local impact: School districts across Community Impact’s coverage areas are in the process of closing and consolidating campuses, citing enrollment declines and budget shortfalls. Statewide data shows that 130 campuses have been selected for closure in the past two years.

What they're saying: “This year, we are down students, and these [drops] are somewhat more accelerated than statewide demographic trends indicated,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told lawmakers May 11. “We cannot tell you the precise cause of this. We just know that it has occurred.”