Performance indicator:

Blight Index

Source: City of Houston, Harris County, Houston-Galveston Area Council

Indicator description:

This indicator provides a measure of neighborhood blight and change over time. Recommended elements to be included in the blight index are: abandoned/vacant buildings, vacant land, vacant properties, foreclosed properties, code compliance citations and low median income, declining population, vandalism/crime, unemployment rate and lien foreclosures. Sources of data for this index are not tracked all together by any one entity, but the City, County Houston-Galveston Area Council would be able to provide data sources for the creation of the index. The Rice University Kinder Institute would be able to provide additional data through the Houston Area Survey regarding perceptions of neighborhood blight.

This indicator is associated with the following goals:

Note: Plan Houston's performance indicators are intended to inform the public and policy makers on the community's success at achieving Plan Houston's community goals. Identifying current performance is a first step; future steps could include tracking progress over time and establishing preferences on outcomes.