The County Connection: One Year After the American Rescue Plan Act

The County Connection
Lina Hidalgo | Harris County Judge

May 2022

• Worked with the City of Houston and a network of nonprofits (led by BakerRipley and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston) to distribute rental assistance to more than 70,000 families and landlords, a model referred to as an “exemplar.”
• Helped 40,000 families with past-due bills or other emergency expenses via $159 million in direct assistance.
• Provided safe and stable housing for people experiencing homelessness. We reduced homelessness by 1,000 people at the height of the pandemic, and 20% over two years (more on this below).
• Supported small and micro businesses with $30 million in small business grants to assist 2,577 small businesses.
• Supplied area hospitals with hundreds of additional nurses during the height of COVID.
• Planned a new state-of-the-art residential complex that will serve as a one-stop support center for youth aging out of foster care in Harris County.
• Secured summer programming and enrichment for an estimated 7,000 Harris County children and youth in Summer 2022.
• Used incentives to encourage 30,000 more residents to get their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Addressed the pandemic’s impact on mental health by investing in community-based behavioral health services.

We’ve also invested in childcare access, early childhood education, tackling neighborhood blight, lead remediation, digital access, food distribution, and integrating the county’s social services safety net. And we won’t stop — we are always looking for cutting edge, data-driven, and research-based solutions to make the quality of life in Harris County better for every one of our residents. Fortunately, Harris County has a strong network of dedicated nonprofits and community leaders who work side-by-side with local government to improve lives. We’re so proud of everything our community has achieved by working together!

Sincerely,

Harris County Begins Providing Second COVID-19 Vaccination Booster to Qualifying Residents

We can’t let our guard down, and our strongest defense against the virus is vaccination, which is proven to be the best way to prevent serious outcomes from COVID-19. The FDA approved a second COVID-19 vaccine booster for select groups of individuals and Harris County Public Health is now administering the 2nd booster dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at all our vaccination sites. If you are over 50 or immunocompromised and received your first booster at least 4 months ago, you can now get a 2nd booster. Visit ReadyHarris.org or call 832-927-8787 to schedule an appointment for your booster shot. We encourage you to make an appointment, if possible, as only limited walk-up opportunities are available.

Community COVID-19 Homeless Housing Program Leads to 20% Drop in Homelessness Over Past Two Years

The city and county jointly funded the Community COVID-19 Homeless Housing Program with more than $65 million of federal pandemic-related funds. In January of this year, the City and County announced an additional $100 million investment to extend and enhance the Program through 2024. Under the coordination of the Coalition for the Homeless, more than 100 agencies of the homeless response system “The Way Home” worked together to house a record number of individuals and reduce homelessness below pre-Harvey levels for the first time since the storm.

“This incredible news shows that we’re capable of tackling the most intractable social problems we face when we work together to do it,” said Harris County Judge Hidalgo.  “It speaks volumes that even in the face of this painful pandemic we’ve managed to reach this milestone.”

The recently released data on the region’s homeless population was compiled through the 2022 Annual Homeless Count & Survey managed by the Coalition for the Homeless.  To ensure accuracy, this year’s count returned to the identical methodology used prior to the pandemic.  More than 475 volunteers spent three days canvassing the region’s streets, bayous, woods, parking lots, etc. locating individuals who may be experiencing homelessness. The data showed the number of individuals experiencing homelessness (on the streets and in shelters) throughout the County on any given night was reduced from 3,753 in 2020, to 2,964 in 2022.

Harris County Bail Bond Board Votes to Change Minimum Bail Bond Payment to 10%

In April, our community won a huge battle in fighting crime when the Harris County Bail Bond Board voted to change the minimum required bail bond payment to 10% of court ordered bond for violent crimes. Bondsmen typically post the entirety of the bond amount and collect a percentage of that bond from a defendant as payment. However, many bondsmen had been agreeing to one to two percent payment, allowing many more defendants to get out on bond than usual despite the increase in high bond amounts set by judges for felony cases. A majority of Bail Bond Board members joined Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in voting for a 10% bond requirement to end “cheap bail” for serious crimes. This latest development is another important piece in the County’s efforts to reduce crime, from increasing funding for all law-enforcement agencies, to investing in research-based data-driven crime-fighting police and community programs, to fighting Harris County’s long standing court-case backlog.

Fraudulent Paper Plates Report Reveals Cost to County and Need for Statewide Reform

In April, Commissioner’s Court was presented with a report providing a clearer picture of just how badly this loophole has hurt Harris County. According to the analysis, over the past six years the number of police incidents involving fake tags skyrocketed by 306%. Making matters worse, these tags resulted in a loss of more than $80 million in lost toll road revenue and new title and registration renewal fees.

The good news is that since this problem was identified, the state legislature, the state DMV, and local entities have taken action to crack down on this problem. And, last year, the state legislature required dealers to set a limit on tags that dealerships can print and took steps to restrict access to the tag issuing database. The DMV also added a fingerprint requirement and mandatory site visits for new car dealerships. Locally, our Harris County Toll Road Authority has worked with local constables on a “Tag, You’re It!” enforcement initiative to catch drivers using fake tags.

Even so, loopholes remain. The report also included policy options to tackle this problem, including increased training on identifying temporary tag-related crime and increased enforcement. However, a local solution is not going to solve a statewide problem –- we need statewide reform for temporary tag loopholes that includes more stringent requirements for temporary tags and limitations on the total numbers of tags that are issued in the state.

Harris County Child Tax Credit Initiative Pumps over $10 Million Into Local Economy

In October last year, Harris County Commissioners Court approved $500,000 to help residents understand how to apply for and receive additional tax credits through a partnership with BakerRipley.  The funds hired additional staff, supported grassroots outreach, and allowed BakerRipley to launch new mobile tax centers, taking tax support into neighborhoods to reach families who need it most. Overall, the County’s initiative helped more than 6,000 families file their taxes at no cost and with expert volunteer support, helping them avoid filing fees.

Houston-Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program Granted Additional Funding

Harris County Commissioners Court Approves Resolution in Support of Trans Youth and Their Families

In March, Harris County Commissioner’s Court  passed a resolution to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals to seek care and feel safe in our community and will oppose actions that negatively impact their well-being. We have a responsibility to protect all children, not target them for who they are.

Mural Celebrating Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Unveiled in the Fifth Ward

Federal Government Rules in Favor of Harris County to Receive $750 Million in Flood Resilience Dollars from State

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, Secretary Fudge, our Congressional Delegation, and all involved in supporting our work to deliver vital flood control dollars to Harris County.

As the third largest county in America, ground zero for Harvey damage and vulnerability to flooding, and home to the nation’s energy industry, there’s simply no excuse to have been shut out from these infrastructure funds in the first place. HUD’s civil rights concerns are also deeply troubling and underscore the concerns we have had all along about how these funds were initially allocated. As soon as the funds arrive, the people of Harris County can rest assured that we will not waste a minute to apply this substantial influx of dollars fairly, equitably, and quickly – as we have with our own local dollars.

While this is good news, we must also acknowledge that this is merely a down payment on what is really needed to address the long term impact of climate change on our communities. We will continue to fight for a worst-first strategy to make sure flood dollars go where they are most needed.”

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