April marks five years since the opening of Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands with a special focus on offering patients closer pediatric care and emergency services north of Houston.

Revolutionary milestones from our multi-disciplinary teams include treating the most complex orthopedic sports injuries of competitive world athletes to our recent 100^th adolescent bariatric surgery.

While Spring Break has yet to wrap for some states, many U.S. travelers are already planning their summer vacations. 

Memorial Hermann Health System and GoHealth Urgent Care announced a new partnership to operate and expand urgent care services across the Greater Houston area. 

There is broad support to allow backyard cottages, duplexes and triplexes in residential neighborhoods, according to a new Zillow survey covering 26 U.S. metropolitan areas struggling with housing affordability

The new research found that 77% of all homeowners and renters surveyed voiced support for construction of either new accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes, or triplexes in residential neighborhoods.

A clear majority of homeowners surveyed, 73%, voiced support for at least one modest densification option, including either the construction of new backyard cottages or the building of new duplexes or triplexes. Support among renters was even higher, with 84% of renters supporting at least one modest densification measure in neighborhoods to help increase housing supply. Research has shown that modest densification through the addition of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes and triplexes could yield millions of new homes nationally, helping slow runaway price growth and improving access to public transit.

"We are facing a housing crisis that's touched most communities across the country, pushing housing affordability to the center of the conversation for many," said Manny Garcia, a population scientist at Zillow. "One of the most effective ways out of this crisis is to build more homes. Modest densification measures, like adding a small apartment in a backyard or converting existing homes into duplexes, could create millions of new homes."

Zillow's survey asked homeowners and renters how to best address affordability issuesduring a red-hot real estate market defined by limited housing inventory, rising interest rates, a steady increase in home prices and climbing rents across the country. These factors are compounded by a lost decade of new home construction that caused a shortfall of 1.35 million new homes in 35 metro areas alone. This latest survey, along with previous research, shows a growing consensus among homeowners and renters that more housing should be created in their own neighborhoods to address affordability.

"This survey shows that residents of more than 20 major U.S. metros — including homeowners — understand that building more homes in our neighborhoods is a credible and viable policy tool to increase housing supply and address affordability, while leaving a positive impact on their community in the long term," said Garcia.

Allowing ADUs, duplexes and triplexes is often referred to as "modest densification," creating small to medium housing types that fall between single-family homes and large multifamily apartment buildings.Research has shown that targeted modest densification measures, such as allowing for two units of housing on a fraction of single-family lots in large U.S. metros, could add 3.3 million homes to the nation's housing stock, helping boost critically needed housing supply in the years to come.

Highlighting how important the issue of affordability has become in recent years, 61% of respondents agreed that affordable housing in their neighborhood is more important than preserving free parking for themselves. Additionally, a majority of respondents said that allowing duplexes and triplexes in residential neighborhoods would have a positive impact on housing affordability, access to public transportation, and access to amenities like parks and restaurants.

The survey was conducted in 26 metro areas across the country, garnering responses from more than 12,000 individuals. Across metros, support for modest densification was strong, with at least 70% of respondents expressing support for construction of ADUs, duplexes or triplexes in neighborhoods.

Large metros that have long faced affordability challenges, such as San Jose, Los Angeles and Denver, clearly support modest densification. As do growing Sun Belt areas like Phoenix, Tampa, Jacksonville and Nashville, which historically have been more affordable but have heated up recently to become some of the hottest markets this year.

Perhaps more surprising is that some smaller metros embraced these options, as well. For instance, the Spokane area's support of modest densification measures (86% of respondents in favor) was among the highest in the nation, and 72% of respondents in the Cincinnati area said they support allowing ADUs, duplexes or triplexes in residential neighborhoods.

Support was not as strong for larger, multifamily apartment buildings, but was still found among 57% of those surveyed. Support for new apartments was highest among renters and young people, but recent trends suggest that support is growing among homeowners. In 2019, only 37% of homeowners supported apartment building construction in their own neighborhoods. Today, that figure has increased to 48%.

 As they prepare to return to Earth later this month, NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts will answer media questions about their time aboard the International Space Station during an in-orbit news conference at 1:20 p.m. EDT Friday, April 15.

NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, will participate in the news conference. The event will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

Interested media must contact the newsroom at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston by calling 281-483-5111 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 10 a.m. Friday, April 15. To ask questions, reporters must dial into the news conference no later than 1 p.m. Those wishing to submit a question on social media may do so using #AskNASA.

The Crew-3 astronauts have been living and working on the station since their launch Nov. 10, 2021. During their mission, the crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations. They worked on a variety of plant growth experiments, testing new systems for growing crops and studying potentially drought-resistant cotton plants. In addition, they tested a handheld bioprinter designed to print bandages made from skin cells directly onto a wound, and a miniature scanning electron microscope. Crew members also installed a new device to support studies on fire safety in microgravity, and conducted one of the first archaeological experiments in space. Working in pairs, the astronauts also completed four spacewalks to prepare the station for upcoming solar array upgrades by assembling and installing modification kits and successfully replacing a faulty antenna on the Port-1 truss structure.

The Crew-3's SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which they named Endurance, will undock from the space station later this month, splashing down off the coast of Florida to conclude the mission.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 mission is the third crew rotation mission of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. Regular, long-duration commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars starting with the agency's Artemis missions, which includes landing the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. 

Follow Chari, Barron, Marshburn, and Maurer on social media, and learn more about their scientific journey and download images and video on NASA's website.

Follow updates on Crew-3 mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

Venterra Realty recently sold Bala Woods at Kingwood, a 261-unit garden-style apartment community located just off the I-45 in Kingwood, a north Houston suburb.

Built in 2000, Bala hosts a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with floorplans that include separate dining areas, dens, and built-in work areas. With a unique two-story construction style fitted with attached garages, renovated interiors, and an impressive amenities package, the property was able to excel and compete with newer constructed properties in the area.

Venterra acquired the property in November 2013. Over the 8+ years under Venterra's ownership, Bala Woods consistently performed well, successfully navigating the pandemic and related impacts on its residents. Occupancy remained strong, averaging 95% over the past year and showing strong momentum in pricing.

Throughout its ownership, Venterra completed an extensive number of upgrades to the property. These improvements included fully equipping the property with SMARTHOME technologies, adding new countertops in kitchens and bathrooms of each unit, new appliances, washers and dryers, Kolay wood plank flooring in upgraded units, a dog park, SMARTPACKAGE lockers, a business center, new roofing, a covered cabana area at the pool with a grill, new pool furniture, as well as a completed renovation and remodel of the leasing office.

"We are proud to have served the residents at Bala Woods at Kingwood for the past 8+ years, completing a vast number of upgrades that allowed for a significantly enhanced living experience," said John Foresi, CEO of Venterra Realty. "Many people have contributed both to the sale of Bala Woods as well as the exemplary management of this property over the years. We look forward to applying our learnings from this community to further inspire future ventures, expand our portfolio and provide more residents access to exceptional living experiences," said Venterra Chairman, Andrew Stewart.