Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone
Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZs) are special zones created by City Council to attract new investment in an area. TIRZs help finance costs of redevelopment and encourage development in areas that would otherwise not attract sufficient market development in a timely manner. Taxes attributable to new improvements (tax increments) are set-aside in a fund to finance public improvements within the boundaries of the zone.
Municipal Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones
Please view the Texas Comptroller's website for further information. Currently Harris County participates in several TIRZs created and maintained by municipalities.
Criteria for Reinvestment (Tax Code 311):
(a) To be designated as a reinvestment zone, an area must:
(1) substantially arrest or impair the sound growth of the municipality or county designating the zone, retard the provision of housing accommodations, or constitute an economic or social liability and be a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare in its present condition and use because of the presence of:
- A substantial number of substandard, slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures;
- The predominance of defective or inadequate sidewalk or street layout;
- Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness;
- Unsanitary or unsafe conditions;
- The deterioration of site or other improvements;
- Tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land;
- Defective or unusual conditions of title;
- Conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other cause; or
- Structures, other than single-family residential structure, less than 10 percentage of the square footage of which has been used for commercial, industrial, or residential purposes during the preceding 12 years, if the municipality has a population of 100,000 or more;…
List of TIRZs in which Harris County Participates
- TIRZ 1 Baytown, City of Baytown
- TIRZ 1 La Porte, City La Porte
- TIRZ 3 Main Street/Market Square, City of Houston
- TIRZ 15 East Downtown, City of Houston
- TIRZ 24 Greater Houston, City of Houston