Herbert Sims: From Gang Intervention Specialist to Director of the Dept. of Neighborhoods

Herbert Sims was a 22-year-old Urban Fellow stepping out of the Manhattan Municipal Building on the morning of September 11, 2001. He stayed through the end of that year, then came home to Houston — and the City called before he had a plan. Twenty-four years later, he runs the Department of Neighborhoods: the city office that most Houstonians have never heard of and that may do more to connect residents to local government than any other. In this episode, Owen sits down with Herbert to trace the full arc — from growing up in Sunnyside to gang intervention counselor to MBA student to budget director to the seat he describes, in one word, as "scary." Along the way, Herbert breaks down everything his department actually runs: a network of community liaisons searchable by address at houstontx.gov/neighborhoods, 88 super neighborhoods (55 currently active), free will clinics through Lone Star Legal Aid and Texas Volunteer Lawyers, gang prevention soccer leagues, language access at city council in Spanish, Vietnamese, and French, City Hall tours, and a People with Disabilities Office pushing toward full digital accessibility compliance. He connects all of it to a single conviction — that municipal government, not federal, is the most influential force in daily life — and to a statistic he returns to more than once: over $300 billion in generational wealth lost in the Black community through the absence of a will. "Real estate is real estate for a reason," he says. "Once the property is lost, it's lost." One thread runs through every program Herbert describes: the department's core job is removing barriers between Houston residents and the level of government that shapes their lives most directly. "The residents are the city of Houston — not us, not this building." 📌 KEY TOPICS • How the Department of Neighborhoods connects residents to local government • The Mayor's Assistance Office and how to find your community liaison • Houston's 88 super neighborhoods — what they are and how to join or restart one • Free will clinics and Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs) available through the city • The Office of Gang Prevention and Intervention and the Fútbolito Kick Out Violence program • Language access at city council in Spanish, Vietnamese, and French • How hearing-impaired residents are using the language access tool • Digital accessibility and the People with Disabilities Office • City Hall tours — and how to request one • 311 vs. community liaisons: when to call which Thanks for listening! New episodes from inside Houston City Hall, featuring candid conversations about the issues, decisions, and leadership shaping the future of Houston. Connect with Mayor John Whitmire and the Mayor’s Office: Instagram: @houstonmayor X: @HouMayor Website: https://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/ Follow the show for more conversations from inside the Mayor’s Office.