Public health emerges as top concern for Houston-area residents Eighty-five percent of the survey participants said the government should do more to solve the country's problems. Author: KHOU 11 Staff Updated: 6:51 PM CDT May 11, 2021 HOUSTON — Public health concerns, an issue that rarely registered on previous surveys, emerged as the top issue facing Houstonians in 2021, according to the new Kinder Houston Area Survey. The 40th annual survey was released Tuesday during the Kinder Institute’s “Lunch-Out” virtual event. According to the survey, 25% of respondents mentioned the pandemic or health-related issues. Twenty percent of those surveyed said the economy was the biggest problem, up from 13% last year. Only 14% cited crime, and traffic dropped to 13%, down from 30% last year.