Texas News Roundup: Housing Costs, Major Projects and Election Records Under Scrutiny
October 29, 2026
TEXAS — Household expenses and major infrastructure investments are shaping headlines across Texas this week. From Houston’s expanding power needs to a new rail connection in Fort Worth and workforce training in the South Plains, communities are balancing growth with questions about affordability and public accountability.
Texas’ median household income reached $82,625 in 2025, but housing costs continued to squeeze household budgets, The Texas Tribune reported Thursday. Incomes rose in the Houston and San Antonio regions while falling in Dallas–Fort Worth and McAllen. More than half of renter households were considered burdened by housing costs, as were about 32% of homeowners with mortgages.
In Houston, CenterPoint Energy expanded its long-term investment plans as the region’s electricity needs grow. The utility announced October 27 that it was adding $4 billion to its 10-year capital plan, bringing the total to $70.7 billion, and accelerating another $1.5 billion of investment into the 2026–2030 period. CenterPoint said the changes would support increasing customer demand in Greater Houston. These figures describe the company’s broader capital plan, with the expansion driven by Houston-area growth.
North Texas is advancing a transportation project intended to improve access to a major employment district. Trinity Metro scheduled Thursday’s groundbreaking for a $270 million TEXRail extension into Fort Worth’s Near Southside and Medical District. The 2.1-mile extension would connect the district with existing service to downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport. Baylor Scott & White Health is providing approximately 1.76 acres for the new station site.
Northeast of San Antonio, a state filing identifies Walmart as the owner behind a planned $400 million distribution center in Cibolo. Registered as Project Theo, the development at 3641 S. Santa Clara Road includes 712,500 square feet of distribution space and a connected office. The filing lists a February 2027 construction start and August 2029 completion. The project remains a planned development, with those dates representing the registered schedule.
On the South Plains, South Plains College broke ground October 28 on a workforce training center at the Levelland Industrial Rail Park, KCBD reported. Funding includes a $1.45 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and $1.5 million from the Levelland Economic Development Corporation. The facility will house truck-driving courses, police vehicle training and other workforce development programs, expanding the college’s training facilities in Levelland.
In the Panhandle, Amarillo officials are still investigating unusually high water bills following the city’s move to a new utility billing system. An outside review found that more than 99% of the billing lines tested matched the adopted rate ordinance, but it did not test meters or determine why some customers’ recorded usage increased sharply. KFDA reported that council members directed staff to hold late fees and shutoffs while the issue is investigated and to develop a formal dispute process.
At the state level, voter-registration records are the subject of a federal lawsuit ahead of the November 3 election. The NAACP, its Texas chapter and Texas LULAC are seeking records connected to earlier delays involving more than 500,000 registration transactions, according to Houston Public Media reporting published by Texas Public Radio. The Secretary of State’s Office said counties had cleared the backlog before early voting began. The plaintiffs are seeking documentation supporting that account, leaving the dispute focused on access to records and how the processing problems were addressed.
Sources and full links
- The Texas Tribune — Housing costs and Census data
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/29/texas-census-income-housing-costs/ - CenterPoint Energy — Official capital-plan announcement
https://investors.centerpointenergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/centerpoint-energy-reports-strong-q3-2026-results-raises - FOX 4 Dallas–Fort Worth — TEXRail groundbreaking plans
https://www.fox4news.com/news/texrail-breaks-ground-270-million-extension-fort-worths-medical-district - Trinity Metro — Official extension and station details
https://ridetrinitymetro.org/trinity-metro-baylor-scott-white-collaboration-advances-texrail-extension/ - Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Walmart project filing
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Projects/TABS2027004627 - KCBD — Levelland workforce training center
https://www.kcbd.com/2026/10/28/south-plains-college-breaks-ground-workforce-training-center-levelland/ - KFDA NewsChannel 10 — Amarillo billing review
https://www.newschannel10.com/2026/10/28/review-finds-amarillo-bills-calculated-correctly-meter-questions-remain/ - Houston Public Media, via TPR — Registration-records lawsuit and state response
https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2026-10-29/civil-rights-organizations-sue-texas-secretary-of-state-dps-director-over-voter-registration-delays