By Cat DeLaura

Good morning, Houston!

🥶 The cold arrives tonight. High of 68; low of 18.

😷 Be aware: COVID-19 cases have increased in the past week and are expected to continue rising over the next month. Be mindful of what you've been and exposed to and what you're exposing others to as you gather for the holidays.

It's Thursday. Let's get started.

BEST OF THE BAYOU

How Harris County is making housing affordable

An Exxon station at 15931 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle

If you read one thing: The Harris County Community Land Trust is making homeownership affordable for families earning below 80 percent of the Houston area's median income.

How does it work? By placing the land the house sits on into a trust, the county is able to dramatically reduce the homebuyer's purchase price (since they are only paying for the cost of the structure).

The trust also helps stabilize the family's tax bills, as owners do not pay taxes on the land, the portion of the taxable value most likely to climb as a neighborhood grows in demand.

How many people is the Community Land Trust able to help? The land trust was formed in 2019. The county has since put nearly $20 million in pandemic-era federal relief funds towards it and hopes to serve 80 families.

There are currently 40 families in the pipeline, and two have already moved into housing. However, rising home prices over the past few years mean the money might not go as far as originally hoped.

Read housing reporter R.A. Schuetz's full story on the land trust here.

DATA OF THE DAY

Houston's best wine deals

Shannon Waiter / contributed

Unfortunately, markups of 400 percent or more for bottles of wine in Houston restaurants are now routinely seen despite having seemingly trended downward pre-COVID. Still, thanks to places like Porta'Vino and others, Houston continues to offer a better wine value than most major American markets.

Check out Dale Robertson's full list of places around Houston with great deals on wine here.

TEXAS TIES

Missing migrant children

In this March 30, 2021 file photo, young migrants wait to be tested for COVID-19 at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley, in Donna, Texas.

Dario Lopez-Mills / Associated Press

If you read one thing: Migrant children who travel to the U.S. without a parent or guardian face risks of human trafficking and abuse when they're released from government custody, according to a new report by U.S. Senate Republicans.

What has happened to these children? Over the years, isolated reports have surfaced about migrant children being found in abusive situations. Recently, a Reuters investigation found underage migrants working at a Hyundai-Kia parts supplier.

Why is this happening? The analysis identified various weaknesses in the government's procedures to prevent children from being placed with adult sponsors who may pose a threat to their health and safety.

The growing number of children arriving at the border puts even more pressure on social workers who are trying to release kids from government shelters as quickly as possible, while also providing adequate screening of sponsors.

What can be done? Immigration attorney Brandon Roche said home visits would be one way to provide an extra layer of protection. However, the government would need to hire additional caseworkers to accomplish that.

Even with the current follow up requirements, officials continue to lose track of children and fail to follow up when sponsors don't answer the phone, the kid's whereabouts are unknown, the child runs away or is no longer living with the sponsor.

Read Elizabeth Trovall's full story here.

STAY IN THE LOOP

Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle

📚 Books: The Huntsville City Council approved a plan to turn operation of its public library over to a private company, just months after city officials banned library displays because of controversy over a LGBTQ+-themed display. (from Matt deGrood)

🎄 Christmas trees: If you've waited this long to buy a Christmas tree, you may be getting a sweet deal. Despite the cost of trees initially being much higher this year, vendors around town are now offering deep discounts. (from Megan Munce)

🐵 RIP: Rudi Valentino, previously the oldest living male orangutan in North America, died Wednesday at the Houston Zoo. He was 45 years old. (from Amber Elliott and John-Henry Perera)

⚖️ Appointment: Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday named Andy Kahan, a vocal advocate for crime victims at Houston's Crime Stoppers, to serve on the State Commission on Judicial Conduct — a group of legal stakeholders who wield power over former, retired and current judges. (from Nicole Hensley)

🏘️ Housing: Prices for newly constructed homes are starting to flatten in Houston as homebuilders contend with a drop in demand and rising inventories, a new report from HomesUSA suggests. (from Marissa Luck)

GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY

Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle

2023 is just around the corner. Here's some ideas for where and how to celebrate.

🎆 Celebrate on a rooftop: POST is hosting a NYE party on their rooftop park. There will be a live DJ and multiple bars throughout the building and roof. The event is free, but there are two other ticketed parties happening at POST that night as well.

When: 8 p.m. - 2 a.m. Saturday, December 31

Where: POST, 401 Franklin St.

🚸 Celebrate with your kids: The end-of-year bash at Children's Museum Houston rings in the New Year at the stroke of noon with ball drops just like in Times Square.

When: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, December 31

Where: Children's Museum Houston, 1500 Binz St.

Cost: $14 - $15

🍽️ Celebrate with food: B&B Butchers & Restaurant will host a festive New Year's evening with delicious food, drinks, party favors and live music. Reservations are required.

When: 5 p.m. - 1 a.m. Saturday, December 31

Where: B&B Butchers & Restaurant, 1814 Washington Ave.

🎵 Celebrate with music: Spend New Year's Eve enjoying live music from the New Orleans jazz group Boomtown Brass Band. Ticket purchase includes dessert selections and a champagne toast at midnight.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, December 31

Where: The Heights Theater, 339 W 19th St.

Cost: $28 - $232

Check out the Chronicle staff's full list of New Year's Eve parties here.