The city of Pearland recently funded a feasibility study to identify gaps in its more than 615 miles of sidewalk.

What happened: Pearland City Council voted unanimously at its May 18 meeting to award a $164,000 contract to national consulting company STV Inc. to conduct a sidewalk feasibility study.

Digging deeper: Since 2024, the city has replaced over 13 miles of sidewalks and completed the first round of standard repairs. The remaining sidewalk gaps require more extensive engineering evaluations, according to city documents.

How we got here: In 2023, Pearland voters approved a roughly $181 million bond package—including more than $26 million for streets, bridges and sidewalks, which included over $15 million for sidewalk gap infill and replacements, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

Isaiah 117 House, a nonprofit that provides care for children awaiting foster placement, opened a new home to serve Brazoria County, according to a May 19 news release from the nonprofit.

The details: The home offers a safe space for children entering foster care while child welfare workers work to identify placements and is equipped with play areas, a kitchen and a living room, as well as fully furnished bathrooms and bedrooms, according to the news release.

The April Housing Market Update from the Houston Association of Realtors reports an increase in inventory in the Houston market this month. Along with the increase in inventory, the average price for a single-family home decreased.

By the numbers: According to HAR, the average single-family home price decreased in April by 1.4% to $428,709—a drop from $434,925 last April. Active single-family listings grew by 6.5% year over year, allowing home buyers to have more options in a more stable market, according to the report.

This increase in property sales is in line with the HAR report released in March. As previously reported by Community Impact, the single-family home sales in March increased by 3.7% with 7,644 homes sold.

“More inventory is giving buyers room to breathe again,” HAR Chair Theresa Hill said. “Homes are still moving, but consumers have more time to make decisions and more leverage during negotiations.”

The Harris County Flood Control District intends to work with the Texas General Land Office to extend funding deadlines for disaster recovery projects related to Hurricane Harvey, as about half are not on track to meet the timeline, HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen told Commissioners Court May 14.

The overview: According to a May 1 report from the flood control district, six of the 11 Hurricane Harvey recovery projects have an estimated completion date beyond the GLO’s Feb. 28, 2027, deadline.

Petersen said HCFCD will seek a nine-month extension and discuss contingency planning with the GLO. This will not be the first time Harris County asks for more flexibility, as the flood control district previously received a nine-month extension in March 2025, she said. 

Also of note: HCFCD is also working to deliver 17 flood mitigation projects, which aim to build resiliency against future extreme weather events, by a March 31, 2028, deadline. However, at least 12 projects are scheduled to run past the deadline, per the report, some of which extend well into 2029.