Abby Church

Covering City Hall's politicians, policies and personalities at the Houston Chronicle. Probably knitting, thrifting, cooking, finding a fun new place to grab a coffee or sitting with my two Siamese cats.

For work: abby.church@houstonchronicle.com

For tips on Signal: abbychurch.07

For everything else: abbschurch@gmail.com

Houston Chronicle • 30th April 2026

‘You’re going to burn this city down with this:’ Inside the collapse of Houston’s ICE policy

A cautious mayor. A frustrated ally. Concerned advocates. A trio who forced reform. A threat from state leaders. And ultimately, an unravelling of a policy aimed to limit ICE interactions.

Houston Chronicle • 7th October 2025

Houston could reach a $227M deficit in 2027. What is Mayor John Whitmire’s plan to close the gap?

As Mayor John Whitmire passed a $7 billion budget complete with cuts, a voluntary retirement program and consolidations this summer, he issued somewhat of a warning to his colleagues on the City Council.

Houston Chronicle • 22nd April 2025

Exclusive: Democratic leaders rebuke John Whitmire's plans to appear at Dan Crenshaw fundraiser

In a statement, Democratic precinct chairs said the Houston mayor's agenda is "indistinguishable from that of a MAGA mayor."

Houston Chronicle • 17th June 2025

Houston lost 24,000 years of experience in Whitmire's retirement program

More than 24,000 years of experience and institutional knowledge walked out the doors of Houston City Hall as a result of Mayor John Whitmire’s voluntary retirement program, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of data on the employees who participated in the $30 million cost-cutting initiative.

Houston Chronicle • 1st October 2025

Houston homeless encampment cleared under John Whitmire's homeless initiative

Most of the dozens of residents had already left, but some sat in police cars. One woman was carried away from the site yelling by her arms and legs. As police officers and other officials bustled through the encampment, a representative with Houston Television walked the site recording.

Houston Chronicle • 27th March 2026

Houston doesn’t have mold inspections. A proposed high-risk apartment ordinance could change that.

The one-bedroom unit at Houston’s Uvalde Ranch Apartments seemed promising for Faye Ku. It had a balcony and a dishwasher, and it was close to her cancer treatments. But Ku soon found mold in kitchen cabinets. Then Hurricane Beryl sent water pouring onto the carpet through a crack in the wall. The power went out, and Ku worried mold was spreading in the sweltering unit. Mold tests she did around the door frame later came back positive.

The Houston Chronicle • 1st January 2025

With one year behind him in office, what has Mayor Whitmire accomplished?

When Mayor John Whitmire prepared to oversee the final Houston City Council meeting of his first year in office, he said he’d keep his comments “short and sweet.” It was a strange departure for the mayor, who often finds himself in a passionate tailspin once he starts speaking on topics of importance for Houston.

Houston Chronicle • 9th January 2025

Why Houston didn’t open warming centers during this week’s freeze

"The gentleman that passed tragically was in contact with the outreach group,” Mayor John Whitmire said during Tuesday’s public comment session at City Hall. “He denied assistance, certainly a mental-health case, and it's a real tragedy. I think it's too early to determine the actual cause, but we were in contact with him and it became an issue of, he resisted care."