Houston City Council member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz recently led a community workshop in Sunnyside to examine the complex role of deed restrictions and zoning laws in shaping local property dynamics.
Rice University’s Steve Sherman, a research scientist at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, was among the experts assembled to explain what deed restrictions are, how they shape local communities in the absence of a citywide zoning code and how residents are affected. Unlike most major U.S. cities, Houston operates without a formal zoning code, relying instead on deed restrictions - legal rules set by the seller or developer that control how a property can be used or modified - to guide land use and preserve the character of its neighborhoods.
“Houston has tried to adopt zoning five times, and each attempt failed,” Sherman said. “Since zoning isn’t on the horizon, deed restrictions are a very important tool for Houstonians who want to shape the look and feel of their neighborhoods.”
As part of his role at the Kinder Institute, Sherman investigates land-use planning, policing, community development and housing, among other topics.