When Connective and LISC set out to demystify the homeownership journey for underserved communities in Houston, they didn’t just need a video library—they needed a narrative strategy. We helped transform policy-speak into people-first messaging and crafted an RFP that attracted 19 local video teams. The result? A more inclusive, community-rooted approach to affordable housing communications.

Your brand is speaking—even when you're not. Learn how to audit your message, align with your values, and build deeper trust with your community.

Network with other professionals at Reels & Real Estate while learning how storytelling helps agents attract the right clients

Discover The Market at Emancipation in Houston’s Third Ward—a model for small-footprint, experiential retail and community-driven development.

Bridge to Action empowers small-scale developers to tackle Houston’s housing and revitalization challenges with training, mentorship, and community impact.

We’re proud to announce that the Office of Jason T. Hyman’s Lost Spaces initiative—our community-rooted approach to lot activation and equitable infill development—has been awarded the APA Grassroots Initiative Award. Born in Houston’s Third Ward, this work proves that when residents lead, planning becomes a tool for preservation, prosperity, and pride

Discover how small-scale development preserves neighborhoods, boosts affordability, and drives inclusive urban revitalization from the ground up.

Discover how the Office of Jason T. Hyman’s Bridge to Action Bootcamp is preparing emerging developers of color for success in real estate development with interactive workshops, expert panels, and hands-on labs.

As the entire country grapples with affordability, cities are becoming more creative in finding ways to increase the inventory of housing stock with a variety of options that lower the hurdles to homeownership. After several years of planning efforts, the City of Houston passed Liveable Places as a way to increase housing options.

Commercial property is one of the most overlooked yet influential aspects of “housing” stock.  Even with the emergence of economic development as a buzzword over the last decade, commercial space and its impact is largely left out of revitalization discussions. Focusing on both residential and commercial spaces in revitalization efforts provides a balanced approach that creates stability and opportunity, where both are needed.

With affordability declining across the country, the goal of attaining a home is becoming a distant dream for some. Aside from advocating for cities to adopt policies that encourage more construction, there are several other strategies we encourage homebuyers to consider when purchasing in this market.

Early 2019 changed the way we live forever. The COVID pandemic brought the world to a halt leaving us to navigate work from our home computer screens. We learned a few things in the process: how to get business done virtually, which opened the market for home-grown entrepreneurs, and how to operate with less physical space at home and at work. The pandemic also prompted legislative spending that helped catalyze innovation. Altogether, these changes set the stage for the demand of alternative commercial models.

Successful real estate requires collaboration with a variety of professionals from agents to architects and urban planners. Our office sponsors an annual development conference aimed at equipping emerging minority developers with the tools they need to create needed commercial and residential stock.Learn more about the Lost Spaces Conference and how it primes our pipeline with responsible development.

Their annual Lost Spaces conference has become a hallmark event to bring their mission and goals to life with individuals and organizations from around the city and country to share best practices, resources, and establish strategic relationships. This year, April 28th through April 30th marks the weekend of the annual Lost Spaces conference, where implementation is the theme.

Learn about financing, acquisition, planning, and managing small scale development projects from local professionals.

The Do The Things That Matter (DT3M) campaign kicked off Fall with the launch of its Food for Thought Series aimed at bringing access to fresh foods in food desert communities by bridging real estate development, small businesses and great food together. The campaign, which is a tool to build a community of like-minded developers and investors, creates spaces and experiences that allow residents to take an active role in designing the community where they can live, work and play.

Minority communities across Houston are at risk. Loose planning restrictions have allowed developers with deep pockets to buy neighborhoods by the block. People in these neighborhoods may not know what gentrification is but they can feel it.

The Houston Community Land Trust recently celebrated closing on their 100th home, demonstrating that there is more than one path to home ownership. Read about our time at the celebration and how the HCLT is making Houston more affordable, one house at a time.

Race and affordability touch at the heart of the housing crisis in Houston. The Fair Housing Act protects buyers and renters from seller or landlord discrimination. In recognition of fair housing month, it’s worth exploring community land trusts.