The city of Fulshear has seen an influx of multifamily options since the beginning of 2020.

What you need to know: In that time, the city has seen nine apartment complexes open with another two under construction and one in plan review, per city data.

Of those 12 developments, 3,591 units have opened or are underway with another 348 under review, which would bring the city’s total units to 3,939.

Continuous population growth has increased the demand in the variety of housing types to accommodate different stages of life, Director of Economic Development Annel Guadalupe said.

“Multifamily housing contributes by offering an additional housing choice for people who want to become part of the community but may not yet be ready or interested in buying a home,” she said. 

By the numbers: The second-fastest growing city in the county, the city has seen a 1426.62% increase in its population from 2014 to 2024, U.S. Census data shows. The growth has been driven by schools, master-planned neighborhoods and regional employment opportunities, Guadalupe said.

Lowe's has officially opened in the Texas Heritage Marketplace development, officials announced in an Aug. 31 news release.

The business celebrated its grand opening Sept. 4 with a board-cutting ceremony featuring donations to the Katy police and fire departments as well as Eyes on Me Inc., a nonprofit that provides mentorship and access to food, clothing and hygiene products for underserved communities.

What they offer: The store features approximately 95,000 square feet of retail space as well as approximately 30,000 square feet of outdoor garden space with a wide assortment of home improvement products for homeowners and professional contractors, per the release.

The Katy location includes a redesigned kitchen showroom with more interactive product displays and centralized selling desks for installation and service projects, per the release.

The new location is also one of the first to feature a redesigned tool section with a simplified open layout, wider aisles and lower fixture heights to improve visibility.

• 981 Heritage Oak Lane, Katy

The YMCA of Greater Houston will host a Senior Open House on Sept. 9 in honor of Healthy Aging Month, YMCA officials announced in an Aug. 27 news release.

What's happening? Open to residents age 55 and older alongside their families, friends and caregivers, the open house will take place at YMCA locations across the Greater Houston area. Per the release, the event will allow attendees to explore their local YMCA and learn more about ForeverWell programming. Open house activities will include:

• Vendor fairs with community partners
  

• Facility tours
  

• Prize drawings and giveaways
  

• Educational programs with demonstrations

Quote of note: "Many are entering a new phase of life, and doing so alongside a community while participating in activities that encourage movement, relationship building and exploring new interests keeps adults of all ages active and engaged," said Stephen Ives, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater Houston, in a statement. "Through our ForeverWell program, specifically for adults 55 and better, we create opportunities for connection and engagement."

George Bush Intercontinental Airport officials celebrated an Aug. 7 opening of several new Farmer’s Fridge kiosks throughout the airport, according to a post on the airport’s Facebook page.

The details: Officials noted the grab-and-go offerings include fresh sandwiches, wraps, salads and other seasonal surprises, according to the post.

Officials noted four kiosks are currently installed near gates A9, A27, D17 and the airport’s Car Rental Facility.

• 2800 N. Terminal Road, Houston

The Texas comptroller's office is requesting that lawmakers provide more than $2 billion for the state's education savings account program, which subsidizes private education and homeschooling for participating families.

How we got here: The legislature created the program in 2025, allocating $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year. Nearly 110,000 students have received state dollars from the program so far, and officials said funding should be doubled to ensure more students can enroll in the next two years.

Zooming in: According to the comptroller's legislative appropriations request for the 2028-29 biennium, it would cost:

• $916 million per year to continue funding the roughly 110,000 students currently enrolled

• $82 million annually would be needed to fund siblings of participating children who will soon qualify for the program

• $980 million per year to provide funding for more than 106,000 students on the program's waitlist

Something to note: The comptroller's $2 billion base budget request would not fully cover the waitlist and interest list, which would cost nearly $4 billion for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years.