The Problem
The neighborhood of Kashmere Gardens in northeast Houston has weathered a series of severe climate shocks over the last decade. Hurricane Harvey (2017), Winter Storm Uri (2021), extreme temperature and wind events have all taken their toll on residents. And these events have further exacerbated the neighborhood’s underlying vulnerabilities: 32% of households in Kashmere Gardens live below the federal poverty line, the area has twice the proportion of disabled residents compared to the city average, as well as a high number of senior citizens living alone.
Geographically, Kashmere Gardens also faces several challenges. The neighborhood’s proximity to the Hunting Bayou poses severe flood risk to residents. Nearly all properties in the neighborhood are within a mapped floodplain. In addition, the railyards in Kashmere Gardens act as levees blocking floodwaters from flowing out of the neighborhood and pose significant health risks due to contamination.
Learning from Hurricane Harvey, community and City leaders recognized the need to strengthen the neighborhood's community preparedness and access to critical resources – not just during emergencies, but every day.
Outcomes
Taken together, these approaches secured insights and buy-in from more than 450 neighborhood residents, 12 City departments, and 10 community-based organizations resulting in the designation of the Resilience Hub’s ultimate location – a trusted City-owned asset in the neighborhood – and definition of its core functions and needed retrofits.
Today, the activated Resilience Hub has successfully attracted over $2 million in capital investment, dedicated to critical climate-resilient upgrades, including the installation of a solar carport and a backup generator, while also expanding service delivery to include supplemental food security programming.
Our Work Streams
- In partnership with community-based organization Northeast Houston Redevelopment Council (NEHRC) and the City of Houston, RCC spearheaded a multi-year collaboration to accelerate the co-design and activation of Houston’s first Resilience Hub in Kashmere Gardens.
- To ensure the Hub's location and functional mandate were aligned with resident needs and priorities, RCC implemented an innovative, multi-year participatory methodology. This approach focused on leveraging established community assets to reach as many residents as possible and secure diverse input. The engagement strategies included:
- Targeted Pop-up Sessions: Conducting feedback collection in strategic locations during high-traffic periods, such as elementary school dismissal, to engage working parents.
- Structured Focus Groups: Holding dedicated sessions for distinct demographic groups, including high school students and senior center participants.
- Integrated Design Sessions: Facilitating City-Community workshops that utilized short-term Resilience Hub site activations to prioritize necessary physical retrofits and upgrades for the final location.
Impact Numbers
450+
people convened
19,950
residents benefiting
$2.24M
directed to implementation
Key Findings
The Kashmere Multiservice Center is now consistently activated as a city warming center, which is the practical test of whether a hub design holds. That track record is drawing philanthropic interest toward a second site at the former Chatham Elementary campus.
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