The Settegast neighborhood in northeast Houston has been home to Carolyn Rivera for more than four decades.<\/p>\n
Rivera said that it is a place she chose to stay for the long term and eventually retire.<\/p>\n
“When I first moved here, it was clean. It was green,” Rivera said. “The soil was good because I used to have a garden in the back and used to have a big ole pine tree here.”<\/p>\n
Now, those are just memories from the neighborhood she once loved dearly. Instead, she has to accept a difficult part of what’s become reality.<\/p>\n
According to a 2023 analysis by the Houston Chronicle, life expectancy in Settegast is about 66 years, which is the shortest in Harris County.<\/p>\n
However, neighborhoods such as Clear Lake are much higher at 89 years.<\/p>\n
The report doesn’t break down exactly what factors contribute to that number.<\/p>\n
But Michael Emerson, a lead author on a study conducted with Rice University’s Kinder Institute, said people could live longer if communities focused on what he calls the “universal basic neighborhood.”<\/p>\n
The idea is that every neighborhood should set certain standards in four different categories: environment, housing quality, social support, and transportation.<\/p>\n
The research goes on to say that if those needs are met, the average life expectancy could reach 80 years or even more.<\/p>\n
According to Emerson, the different city departments would have to work together.<\/p>\n
ABC13 spoke with Houston City Councilwoman Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, who represents the Sunnyside neighborhood, which, according to the same analysis, had an average life expectancy of 68.<\/p>\n
“It’s very concerning. I do know there are some challenges in the area regarding access to food, but my main concern is access to healthcare,” Evans-Shabazz said.<\/p>\n
She said addressing those challenges starts with setting clear standards that help neighborhoods thrive, including making sure residents have places that encourage healthy lifestyles.<\/p>\n
“We need people to access the green spaces in the area, and make sure we keep them up adequately so they may want to go out and talk and get a little exercise,” she said.<\/p>\n
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