Houston Mayor Joins Nextdoor Social Media Platform

HOUSTON, TX — A social media app that brings neighborhoods together got a major boost Tuesday when Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner promoted the app and encouraged fellow Houstonians to also join. The Nextdoor app is one way to stay in the know about what’s going on in your neighborhood — whether it’s finding a last-minute babysitter, learning about an upcoming block party, hearing about a rash of car break-ins, neighborhood public safety issues, community events and activities, local services and even lost pets.

Turner announced he has started using Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, to better connect with residents on a hyper-local level. The mayor will post under the city’s Nextdoor account, which was established this past May.

"As Hurricane Harvey has proven, Houston is an innovative, resourceful and resilient city. Our residents have shown their strength over the past two months, as neighbors have come together to help one another in the face of tragedy," Turner said. "During Harvey, Nextdoor became a lifeline for many, and our agency departments relied on it to share critical information before, during, and after the storm. I am thrilled to join Nextdoor today, and look forward to building stronger relationships with the residents we serve."

Hundreds of thousands of Houston neighbors from more than 1,105 neighborhoods, are connected on the neighborhood network, representing one in five Houston households.

Nextdoor is free for residents and city departments. Each Houston neighborhood has its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents of that neighborhood. To sign up in your local neighborhood, follow this link.

Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor website and Turner is not able to access residents’ websites, contact information or content. All members must verify that they live within the neighborhood before joining Nextdoor. Information shared on Nextdoor is password protected and cannot be accessed by Google or other search engines.

Turner’s partnership with Nextdoor comes as residents across the city work to rebuild after Harvey. On Nextdoor, Mayor Turner and Nextdoor neighborhoods can work together on future topics that affect the city. Turner joins the City, Houston PD, Houston Office of Emergency Management, Houston Fire Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Ready Harris on Nextdoor, making it one of the most comprehensive Nextdoor partnerships in the country.

Turner joins more than 2,500 public agencies across the country that are using Nextdoor for public agencies to build stronger relationships with residents.

Image: Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks onstage during the BET Presents Super Bowl Gospel attends the BET Presents Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at Lakewood Church on February 3, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for BET)