According to the Texas Comptroller, Texas is more than 300,000 housing units short of meeting the growth in population the state has been experiencing over the last decade. There are ways for the state government to intervene on behalf of the people to remove overburdensome regulations that have contributed to an artificial scarcity of homes. The purpose of SB 840 is to allow by right mixed-use residential and commercial zoning, which would make converting empty office spaces into housing units much easier. Converting offices into housing has a lower construction impact than new development because the structure and much of the infrastructure (e.g., electricity, plumbing, HVAC) are already in place. This, combined with other measures, would add to the housing supply and aid in bringing prices down to a more affordable range for consumers.
Taxes & Spending
The Staggering Amount of New Debt Added in May 2026
On May 2nd, 2026, Texas voters did something astonishing. They approved more new debt in that single afternoon than the entire gross domestic product of the country of Uganda. The $76.4 billion in new principal debt authorized that day won’t be issued tomorrow; but with voter approval in-hand, local governments now have the go-ahead to borrow more and add onto the $368.3 billion in principal debt already owed. Of course, these totals...
July 21, 2026