Uyiosa Elegon

Real journalists wrote and edited this (not AI)—independent, community-driven journalism survives because you back it. Donate to sustain Prism’s mission and the humans behind it. Houston is mourning the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the latest of multiple people across the U.S to be fatally shot by federal immigration agents or to die in immigration detention.

Shift Press held a webinar to explain how the budget process works and what residents can do to influence the outcome. The City of Houston’s nearly $7 billion budget affects every resident. If you drive on roads, care about waste pick-up, experience flooding in your neighborhoods, or want more programming in arts, parks, or libraries, your life is impacted by the City of Houston budget.

Real journalists wrote and edited this (not AI)—independent, community-driven journalism survives because you back it. Donate to sustain Prism’s mission and the humans behind it. Houston residents flooded the City Council chambers last year to oppose the 2026 budget that increases the Houston Police Department’s (HPD) budget by $67 million to a total $1.1 billion. But as more money is directed toward policing, other pressing issues are falling to the wayside, advocates say.