More than half of Harris Co. voters believe 'things going in wrong direction,' survey shows

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Slightly more than half of Harris County registered voters think things are going the wrong direction, according to a new report released Wednesday.

The report is part of a survey conducted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. The study polled 2,300 registered voters and found 57% think things are going the wrong direction in Harris County, with 43% in the right direction.

"We asked Harris County residents what the top issues are that they believe are big problems facing Harris County. They pointed to things like crime, streets and roads and bad condition, high cost of housing, and homelessness," said Mark Jones, senior research associate at the UH Hobby School.

The report found seven factors that have a major negative impact on the quality of neighborhoods:

• Streets in bad condition (45%)
• Lack of sidewalks or poor-quality sidewalks (40%)
• Home and car break-ins (37%)
• Homeless population (36%)
• Violent crime (36%)
• Low-quality tap water (35%)
• Abandoned or poorly maintained buildings and lots (33%).

See full report below:

"These surveys help us understand what everyone is thinking about key issues. Not just what we people know are thinking. It provides a real baseline for county policy makers who can look and see what the problems Harris County residents feel are confronting their county," Jones said.

The report also looked at the county's four commissioner precincts. In Precinct 1, streets in bad condition were at the top, at 53%, having a major negative impact on quality of life. The same was for Precincts 2 and 4. In Precinct 3, the survey found that home and car break-ins and violent crime were also of major concern, with 32% each.

When it comes to elected officials, Judge Lina Hidalgo had the lowest net approval rating with 4% -- that is the percentage of those who approve minus the percentage who disapprove.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had the highest at 33%.

As far as the race for the next Harris County judge, Hidalgo had the highest favorable opinion among voters with 44%. She has yet to announce if she will seek another term.

The report released Wednesday is one of four.

A second report will look at the level of enthusiasm surrounding a destination theme park and bringing a WNBA or NHL team to Houston. A third will look at concerns surrounding severe summer weather and CenterPoint's efforts, with a fourth, "analyze the candidate evaluations and vote intention of Harris County registered voters who are likely to vote in the November 2025 Texas Congressional District 18 Special Election."

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