Chronicle takes top honors for real estate writing in SABEW awards

March 27, 2026 - 04:28

A hard-hitting investigative series by the Houston Chronicle, which exposed a rampant building boom in flood-prone areas after Hurricane Harvey, has been awarded top national honors for real estate writing.

The series was recognized by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) in its annual Best in Business awards competition. The work meticulously documented how thousands of new homes were constructed on Houston-area floodplains in the years following the devastating 2017 storm.

The reporting went beyond mapping the construction, delving deep into the systemic failures that allowed it to happen. It scrutinized the roles of local government bodies, permitting officials, and developers in enabling construction in areas historically susceptible to catastrophic flooding. The series provided a crucial examination of how short-term economic decisions can exacerbate long-term community risk, placing residents and property in harm's way.

Judges praised the Chronicle's work for its significant public service, data-driven analysis, and compelling narrative that highlighted a critical issue of urban planning and safety. The award underscores the importance of investigative journalism in holding power to account and informing communities about vital environmental and economic issues that shape their lives and livelihoods.