Support Houston Landing journalists and staff facing layoffs

This week, the Houston Landing’s CEO informed dozens of dedicated journalists that the nonprofit newsroom’s board of directors voted to cease operations by mid-May.

More than 40 journalists and other staff will be laid off – most of whom relocated to Houston for their jobs, driven to provide revelatory, visually compelling and accountability-focused journalism that uplifted underserved communities across Houston.

Since the official launch of the Landing newsroom nearly two years ago, reporters exceeded the ambitious goals set for their journalism.

Landing stories led the U.S. Department of Education to open an investigation into a suburban school district, pushed the state of Texas to finally rebuild a widow's home wrecked during Hurricane Harvey, prompted the Texas Education Agency to rectify illegal suspensions of homeless students, and an investigation into a suburban development was corroborated by the U.S. Department of Justice and state of Texas’ subsequent lawsuits against the developer.

The Landing’s stories and photojournalism earned state and national recognition, including nods from the Livingston Awards, the Headliners Foundation, the Texas Association of Managing Editors and the Education Writers Association, among many others.

The Landing’s leadership has said the company will pay severance to those being laid off. But these payments may not be sufficient to fill the hole in every staffer’s budget in the stressful months ahead.

Landing employees are now asking for your help. All the funds collected from this fundraiser will be distributed among the staff to help during this difficult time.