Key Accomplishments Marching Towards the Future

Home Key Accomplishments Marching Towards the Future

Harris County:
Marching Toward a Better Future

Judge Hidalgo’s top priority is to advance ambitious initiatives that improve the lives of all residents in Harris County. Since January 2019, the County Judge’s Office has taken bold, thoughtful action to improve flood control, reform our criminal justice system, and bring transparency, accountability, and efficiency to your government. Key accomplishments to date include:

Reducing Crime
  • Created Holistic Assistance Response Teams of trained behavioral health and mental health professionals to respond to nonviolent police calls involving mental illness, substance use, homelessness, and social welfare.
  • Established the Gun Violence Interruption Program, which connects with people at risk of committing violent crimes and connects them with services like mental health counseling, substance use treatment, employment, and support to exit gangs, while working with community leaders to identify ongoing conflicts and using mediation techniques to resolve them peacefully.
  • Created the Clean Streets, Safe Neighborhoods program, an evidenced-based crime prevention and neighborhood safety program to improve street lighting, sidewalks, and visibility and that addresses longstanding blighted and abandoned structures, restores vacant lots, and implements other improvements shown to enhance public safety.
  • Created a package of initiatives to help the judicial branch of our government move through a backlog of criminal cases and address the violent crime rate, including:
    • The addition of six additional associate judges to assist the 22 Criminal District Courts to process more cases simultaneously.
    • Passed Emergency Docket Funding for $2.5 million to fund three visiting judges and necessary support staff. 
    • The approval of $600,000 dollars in funds to expand jury operations at NRG, making more  jurors  available to hear cases. 
    • A major and historic $15 million investment in technology for law enforcement which will make body cam systems more efficient -- consequently make video evidence available more quickly and speeding up processing of court cases.
    • Allocated additional overtime funding for detectives in the Harris County Sheriff's Office’s Violent Crimes, Adult Special Crimes, and Child Abuse Units to work the most serious, violent cases with improved information sharing, expedited investigations, and targeted investigations focusing on repeat offenders and organized criminal activity in known hotspots.
    • Funded seven temporary positions to assist with court evidence processing and accelerate processing of the 9-1-1 audio requests backlog.
    • Approved additional $20 million in ARPA funds to continue the work of reducing the court backlog. Funds will support evidence management, such as the work of going through 911 audio tapes and body camera footage; funding to sustain positions across the Clerk, Courts, Public Defender and District Attorney Offices; and additional funding for our Children’s Assessment Center, which investigates child abuse cases.
  • Implemented a “Precision Policing” initiative that strategically pinpoints and attacks crime in three parts. First, this initiative uses data, analytics, and mapping to concentrate policing in micro zones, currently seven hotspots that we know suffer from heightened rates of violent crime. Second, the plan will substantially increase police visibility in those areas, prioritizing street-level deterrence and the arrest of repeat offenders. Finally, the Harris County Sheriff’s office will partner with Constables offices and with these neighborhoods before, during, and after this program concludes to communicate what we’re doing, why, and get the input of these communities to build and maintain trust.
  • Directed Harris County to draft a report on the frequency, location, and causes of youth gun violence in Harris County from 2015 to the present. The report will include the most effective, evidence-based policy solutions to address and prevent youth gun violence and deaths of children due to gun violence and will require County researchers to consult with relevant stakeholders.
  • Established the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Program, an aggressive effort to  clean up the streets in neighborhoods where decay and abandonment are driving violent crime.
    • Funded the Alief Linear Forest Project to plant 1,200 trees over 17 miles of public rights-of-way, with at least 100 20-feet trees being planted by 2025.
  • Created the Women’s Reentry Program to provide mental health support, trauma counseling, education and vocational training, substance abuse support, and other services for women housed in the Women’s Center Jail to reduce recidivism.
  • Created a new $1.7 million TeleDeputy program to allow officers to respond remotely to non-emergency calls.
Flood Control
  • Sped the delivery of flood bond projects by allocating local funds to jump-start construction instead of waiting for federal match dollars. Out of more than 250 flood bond projects, more than half are already approved. Additionally, drainage improvement projects have been fast-tracked for the 105 subdivisions that were hard-hit by Hurricane Harvey and flooded due to poor drainage infrastructure.
  • Improving fairness by removing politics and financial influence from decision making on flood control projects. The County Judge’s office implemented a “worst first” model to inform which flood control bond projects to prioritize. While all bond projects will be completed, the County has begun using the Social Vulnerability Index developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow the county to prioritize areas that are particularly prone to disasters and economic loss.
  • Working to ensure that science — not politics — forms the foundation of improving resiliency. From experimenting with floating wetlands to investing in technology to improve our flood warning system to make sure families know their true flood risk, the county is moving forward to lead the nation on how to protect communities from catastrophic flooding.
  • Acknowledging the reality of climate change. Harris County has begun using the latest science from “Atlas-14,” a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rain model that ensures decisions we make on flood control measures are based on more accurate estimates of future flooding rather than what has happened in the past.
  • Passed the most stringent flood detention requirements possible so that new development doesn’t flood people downstream. Additionally, the County has streamlined the enforcement of floodplain regulations by allowing the County Attorney’s office to pursue violators of floodplain regulations without Court approval.
  • Required all cities and municipalities in Harris County to meet more stringent floodplain development standards. The policy change requires all 34 cities to adopt stricter rules as a condition of receiving $2.5 billion in County flood bond funding. 
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Reform
  • Fixing our broken cash-bail system. By taking action to settle an expensive, three-year old lawsuit under which federal courts had deemed the County’s bail system unconstitutional, the County eliminated practices that often made wealth the sole basis for how someone accused of a misdemeanor crime was treated. The County’s work to protect the constitutional rights of defendants while protecting public safety is now recognized as a national model for other communities facing unfair bail practices. 
  • Increased funding for the Public Defender's Office. The budding office, first established in 2015, received a 91% increase in funding this year. It can now represent around 20% of the County’s indigent criminal defendant population, significantly enhancing fair representation within our judicial system and moving us toward the best practice of a robust public defender’s office that represents the majority of indigent criminal defendants.
  • Adopted a Managed Assigned Counsel Program for indigent defense. The Court approved the adoption of this new indigent defense delivery model in our County Criminal Courts at Law. It will serve to oversee and enhance the independence, quality, and accountability of attorney appointments for indigent misdemeanor arrestees.
  • Stopped the construction of a new juvenile detention facility. Instead of focusing resources on mass incarceration, the County is working to direct funds at evidence-based criminal justice reforms.
  • Established the Justice Administration Department. The new department coordinates and serves as the hub for criminal justice reform in Harris County. Just three weeks after opening, it is already working to re-envision our Criminal Justice Coordinating Council as a vehicle for collaboration in a traditionally siloed system. It will also oversee implementation of misdemeanor bail reform and prioritize collection and analysis of criminal justice data to find ways to address inequities, reduce recidivism, lower crime, and save taxpayer dollars.
  • Passed a package of criminal justice reform measures in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, including steps to create independent civilian oversight of police, humane use-of-force policies, the establishment of a violence interruption program, and public disclosure of use of force data and video footage. Additionally, the county is driving toward assigning at least 50% of indigent cases to public defenders within the next two years and is undergoing a deep, community-centered, examination of budgeting practices in the criminal justice system.
  • Created a package of initiatives to help the judicial branch of our government move through a backlog of criminal cases and address the violent crime rate, including:
    • The addition of six additional associate judges to assist the 22 Criminal District Courts to process more cases simultaneously.
    • Passed Emergency Docket Funding for $2.5 million to fund three visiting judges and necessary support staff.
    • The approval of $600,000 dollars in funds to expand jury operations at NRG, making more  jurors  available to hear cases.
    • A major and historic $15 million investment in technology for law enforcement which will make body cam systems more efficient -- consequently make video evidence available more quickly and speeding up processing of court cases.
    • Allocated additional overtime funding for detectives in the Harris County Sheriff's Office’s Violent Crimes, Adult Special Crimes, and Child Abuse Units to work the most serious, violent cases with improved information sharing, expedited investigations, and targeted investigations focusing on repeat offenders and organized criminal activity in known hotspots.
    • Funded seven temporary positions to assist with court evidence processing and accelerate processing of the 9-1-1 audio requests backlog.
    • Expanded the Jail Competency Program by $646,000 to provide the services needed to more than double the number of individuals annually restored to competency, which will help reduce the jail population and overcrowding, and cut the case court backlog.
  • Implemented much-needed reforms to our jury system to promote increased participation in jury duty, including providing meal vouchers, free parking, distinct parking signage to help jurors find their way, free coffee and water, and an awareness campaign to draw attention to the changes.
  • Created a model policy to streamline the application process for a U visa that helps make the visa certification process more consistent and easier to navigate for agencies and survivors.
  • Created a Sexual Assault Response Team to improve reporting and recovery for survivors. Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) were developed to advise County governments on how to prioritize survivors’ needs and improve community response to sexual assault.
  • Passed a resolution supporting the posthumous pardon of George Floyd for a 2004 drug conviction based on invalid testimony.
  • Declared June 9th George Floyd Day in Harris County in honor of Mr. Floyd and the movement against racial discrimination and police brutality sparked by his tragic death.
  • Began tracking catalytic converter serial numbers to prevent thefts. Catalytic converters contain precious metals, including platinum and rhodium, and theft of the car part had gone up by as much as 400%. New regulations requiring metal recyclers to verify the origin of the converter and upload serial numbers to a law enforcement database now make it much more difficult for thieves to profit by selling the stolen converters to metal recyclers in the unincorporated areas of Harris County.
  • Launched Harris County Law Library LAWPod Initiativeto connect residents with more legal resources. The initiative will install six self-contained, internet-connected meeting pods and connect residents to online legal resources and legal aid providers.
  • Funded seven temporary positions to assist with court evidence processing and accelerate processing of the 9-1-1 audio requests backlog.
  • Established a $4 million Youth Justice Community Reinvestment Fund that invests in community-based programs that reduce youth violence and detention and address racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. In 2021, following the implementation of a new Detention Screening Instrument, the likelihood of Black and Hispanic youth being screened as eligible for detention dropped from 20% more likely than white youth to about equal across races.
  • Established 10% minimum bond payment by defendants to help keep our community safe.
  • Developed a dashboard to collect bail bond data to encourage more transparency around bond amounts and the amounts defendants actually pay to bondsmen. This is a first step in determining what can be done at the County or state level to increase transparency around bond contracts and their effect on justice and crime.
Childhood Development
  • Created a $10 million early childhood education incubator to make investments in high-impact early childhood initiatives and programs. This groundbreaking fund marks the first time Harris County has significantly invested in early childhood programs, which research demonstrates have one of the strongest returns on investment for any type of public program.
  • Funded the County Connections Youth Summer Initiative to support 43 nonprofit organizations in providing comprehensive summer programs, short term projects, and summer camps to 3,480 students at 99 sites across the County during Summer 2021. Renewed the Initiative for Summer 2022 with a $1.5M investment which will reach 7,000 children and youths.
  • Launched historic $84 million Brighter Futures for Harris County Kids Initiative, the largest allocation of funding for children in Harris County history and the largest known investment of ARPA dollars by any county or city in the nation for early childhood education, childcare, and maternal health.
    • Created the $26 million Early REACH Program to provide 1,000 new high-quality childcare slots for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in areas of Harris County with the highest need.
  • Established a $7.7 million Maternal and Child Health Program, an evidence-based home visitation program that aims to improve and expand access to health care for Harris County mothers and children. In particular, it will address the alarming rates of maternal mortality among African American women in Harris County, who are three times more likely to die than the national average and 10 times more likely to die compared to women overall in industrialized countries.
Transparency
  • Held the County's first-ever open transition process with seven town hall meetings across Harris County and a survey that brought together 200+ community organizations and received 11,000 responses. The county is already acting on the many recommendations received from residents, including work to support the county's first-ever affordable housing plan, reforms to the juvenile justice system, and systems like the 3-1-1 line that residents said needed to exist so that they could more easily connect with government.
  • Ensuring County business is done out in the open. Commissioners Court meetings are now in-depth, dynamic conversations routinely attended by community members rather than a brief formality.
  • Made voting easier by expanding access to the ballot box. The County now allows residents to vote at any polling location on Election Day, not just their home precinct, and has expanded early voting hours and locations, including increased access for students with early voting polls opened at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University. For the historic 2020 election held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris County made a $17 million investment to triple the number of Early Vote locations and provide mail-in ballots. As a result, Harris County saw almost 70% turnout -- the highest in 30 years. The County also created an Elections Administrator Position to modernize Harris County elections and ensure voting is fair, efficient, secure, and accessible and approved funding of up to $54 million for new, state-of-the-art voting machines.
  • Directed the county to create a 3-1-1 system to make County services easier to reach.
  • Making sure Harris County is counted when it comes to the 2020 Census. The County has committed a historic $3.4 million dollars to Census efforts and launched our first-ever Houston-Harris County Complete Count Committee to ensure we receive our fair share of federal dollars.
  • Launched Harris Thrives, an initiative to execute a faster, fairer, and smarter flood control policy. As part of this commitment, the County Judge’s office is sharing real-time information on construction progress for flood bond projects, including how and where dollars are being spent at HarrisThrives.org.
  • Creating a better method to invest in public infrastructure. In coordination with County Departments, Harris County is improving the process through which investments are determined for capital improvement projects. Moving forward, the County will work in tandem with the communities they serve to gather input on where to invest and provide user-friendly information on where taxpayer dollars are being spent.
  • Supported launch of an anonymous reporting system to help identify fraud, waste or abuse in county government. The hotline, accessible 24/7 via phone or online, allows individuals to report suspicious activity such as excessive or improper use of county assets.
  • Created a commission to advise the county on how to protect and celebrate African American history and culture in Harris County.
  • Allocated $12 million to significantly expand vote by mail to ensure safe and accessible voting for seniors and residents impacted by COVID-19.
  • Launched reform of the budget process and budget department to focus on performance-based budgeting and evaluate programs based on best-practices informed outcomes.
  • Refinanced the Harris County Toll Road debt at historically low rates to divert funds for urgent COVID-19 pandemic assistance and flood control projects, ensuring Harris County residents get the most beneficial return on their dollar.
  • Committed to improving coordination and information-sharing on environmental work with the City of Houston by defining procedures for any future county-city partnerships for joint pollution monitoring, mitigation, investigations, and/or enforcement.
  • Created the Hispanic Cultural Heritage Commission to advise the County on how to best serve the needs of our Hispanic population.
  • Created a Chief Talent Officer position to oversee candidate searches and hiring processes that ensure we hire the best and brightest talent.
  • Ended the County’s long-standing policy of "rollover" budgeting for most general fund departments which allowed departments to hold on to budgeted and unspent funds indefinitely. Now unspent funds from the prior fiscal year are diverted to areas where they are most needed, like public safety, allowing for greater transparency in where and why the County’s money is budgeted.
  • Established the new County Administrator position, a management tool to ensure that planning and implementation are responsive to the goals and objectives of Commissioners Court, carried out effectively over time, and measured to determine whether intended outcomes are achieved.
  • Established Budget Management Department Diversity and Inclusion Policy for Hiring of Third-party Firms.
  • Declared Juneteenth an official County holiday.
  • Increased transparency in county government with a new policy that outlines Harris County’s transparent data goals, which include making County data (on department programs and dollars spent on a particular project) open to the public as a standard practice, and creating a public data portal to house data from every County department. This policy is another step forward in Harris County’s commitment to transparent government.
  • Created a County Policy Database to make information more accessible to the public. The comprehensive and searchable database of County policies and Court orders improves transparency and efficiency in finding information on Harris County Government for public and employee use.
  • Hosted more than eight public meetings on redistricting throughout the county, including allowing the public to present their own maps and comments, to inform the process to approve a new redistricting proposal for new commissioner precinct lines, which occurs every 10 years. 

Economic Opportunity
  • Created a new, stand-alone Office of Economic Opportunity. The department will work across government departments to advance the long-term workforce and economic growth of our region and address the growing problem of income inequality. As part of this effort, the County has commissioned the first-ever study to advise how to better support minority owned Minority/Women-owned business enterprises.
  • Published report on contracting disparities in Harris County that showed profound disadvantages in county contracting for minority and women-owned firms. Economic Opportunity Department being created in part to address those issues.
  • Authorized only African American-owned bank in Texas for Harris County funds management. Until now, the Harris County banking process did not have any MWBE participation.
  • Approved a $13.6 million agreement with Volunteers of America Texas, Inc. and Wesley Community Center, Inc. to provide training to Hire Up Harris Workforce Program participants.
  • Providing $31.6 million in training to unemployed and underemployed veterans and young adults through specialized apprenticeship and retraining programs for careers in high-growth industries like cybersecurity, IT support, construction, nursing, and more.
  • Allocated $15 million to the Affordable Housing Portfolio Single Family Acquisition Program to help between 80 and 100 low-income Harris County families gain access to newly-constructed, safe and affordable housing.
  • Invested $7.2 million in the Knowles-Rowland House Project, creating 31 new permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness.
  • Created Uplift Harris, a guaranteed income pilot program to provide direct $500 monthly cash payments in fixed amounts to qualifying recipients.
Climate Change and the Environment
  • Reformed environmental protection, monitoring, and enforcement. The County has allocated over $11 million to build a state-of-the-art air monitoring network, increased the size of the pollution control department by over 50%, and added resources for HazMat First Responders. The actions taken thus far represent the most significant enhancement of County environmental protections in at least 30 years.
  • Acknowledging the reality of climate change, the County has begun using the latest science from “Atlas-14,” a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rain model that ensures decisions we make on flood control measures are based on more accurate estimates of future flooding rather than what has happened in the past.
  • Taking steps to develop a climate action plan for Harris County. County officials are studying nationwide best practices to use in developing our own County Climate Action Plan (CAP).
  • Taking steps to transition to a green fleet. County officials are working with Evolve Houston, a nonprofit focused on increasing vehicle electrification in Harris County, to conduct a fleet electrification analysis with the eventual goal of transitioning Harris County’s fleet to electric vehicles.
  • Requiring that all new County facilities follow LEED energy efficiency standards. Harris County currently owns and maintains 9 LEED Certified Buildings, including LEED Platinum for the first government facility in the gulf coast region.
  • Promoting sustainability in our infrastructure developments. Harris County Engineering Department is a member of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure and employs more than 30 Envision Sustainability Professionals, a program that  provides a holistic framework for evaluating and rating the community, environmental, and economic benefits of all types and sizes of infrastructure projects.
  • Transitioning to efficient, LED lighting. A total of five projects for conversion to LED lighting in downtown buildings and facilities have been completed for $900,000, with over $1M in additional projects currently underway. Additionally, all of our Traffic signals now utilize LED signals.
  • Created an Office of Sustainability (OS) to combat the underlying causes and disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities by making community-driven improvements to air, water, and soil quality, committing to the use of clean energy, improving flood resilience with natural infrastructure practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and providing every resident access to quality green space.
  • Launched the RAAM, a state-of-the-art van equipped with air quality-monitoring devices to detect pollutants in the air on blue-sky days, immediately identify harmful chemicals during emergency situations, and generate thermal images to locate chemical leaks and identify additional locations for low-cost fixed air monitors. This equipment will allow a faster response to chemical fire incidents.
  • Allocated over $1 million to create additional HCPH positions to assist with environmental health and emergency response, including physicians, a chemical response planner, public health hygienist, an environmental toxicologist, and environmental epidemiologists.
  • Increased inspections of concrete batch plants to one per week for both air quality and stormwater quality.  Harris County Pollution Control Services (PCS) now inspects concrete batch plants within City limits, completing significantly more inspections than in the past, which better equips the County to hold plants accountable and identify instances of noncompliance.
  • Holding polluters accountable. We’ve hired four dedicated environmental prosecutors to hold large industrial firms accountable in criminal court, and have dedicated pollution control investigators to inspect facilities that are not up to snuff.
  • Approved $1.38 million plan to purchase Electric Vehicles (EV) and charging stations for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project. The project seeks to acquire 19 EVs with associated charging infrastructure at multiple locations in the County.
  • Launched a new interactive map of chemical hazard locations, the Community Right-to-Know Map of Registered Facilities. The map is a database of facilities that make or store hazardous chemicals within Harris County so that residents can identify and locate potential risks in their neighborhoods.
  • Announced a lawsuit against TxDOT over the I-45 expansion project asking the state to take community and environmental concerns into consideration for their design, prompting a federal investigation.
  • Approved a $19.5 million agreement with the City of Houston for a collaboration on the completion of 24 flood mitigation projects to improve flood resiliency for area residents. The city will design and execute the projects, which will be carried out on city property, while the Harris County Flood Control District will fund half the total cost of each project.
  • Approved the Harris County Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP’s goal is to guide the County toward reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% by 2030 through emission reduction in county buildings, fleet and commuting, procurement, and waste management.
  • Established the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance in partnership with Houston, United Way Greater Houston, and the Greater Houston Community Foundation to strengthen our region’s resiliency by raising more disaster relief funds and deploy them faster and more equitably immediately following a disaster.
Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Fought for better transit options. Recognizing the need for innovative transit-oriented solutions instead of just wider highways, Judge Hidalgo fought to improve the TxDOT I-45 Expansion project, and will work with METRO to implement the new METROnext bond initiative. Additionally, the County is performing a first-ever countywide mobility needs assessment to ensure that future transportation development is coordinated, multimodal, and serves the needs of all Harris County residents.
  • Expanded “Tow and Go” across Harris County to reduce traffic congestion and secondary crashes by removing stalled vehicles from freeways for no cost to the driver. The service expanded from 175 miles of coverage to 245 miles of coverage through most of Harris County, including the unincorporated areas.
  • Reformed the way the county allocates transportation dollars by replacing the outmoded ad hoc precinct-by-precinct system with a comprehensive county-wide approach intended to ensure better regional planning, effectiveness and transparency.
  • Created a new Broadband Office to ensure that every Harris County resident has access to broadband internet access.
  • Invested 3.2 Million to continue providing free public wifi to an estimated 20,000 families through the 2021-2022 school year at community centers, parks, libraries, and on community buses, and expand service to between 5,000 and 9,000 users.
  • Paved the way for future development of hike and bike trails and green spaces by:
    • Reaching an agreement with Centerpoint Energy securing the rights to construct 10 foot wide hike and bike trails within utility corridors and easements.
    • Conducting planning studies and developing detailed plans for trails along the toll road system and for construction of the historical Emancipation Trail.
    • Exploring green alternatives such as pedestrian, bikeway, and green space options for the Hardy Toll Downtown Connector corridor that fully take into consideration the local community and the region's existing and future transportation network.
  • Opened the new Harris County Pets Resource Center to provide a state-of-the-art facility with three and a half times the amount of space as the original shelter that it replaced, increasing capacity to 525 animals.
  • Improved city streets around the historic Third Ward with a $43 million “Complete Streets” infrastructure project that utilized the talents of TSU and University of Houston Engineering students to improve and beautify many major streets while improving safety and accessibility for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of mass transit.
  • Removing symbols of oppression and hate by renaming roads commemorating the confederacy. Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to officially rename Robert E. Lee Road, in Precinct 1, to Unison Road.
  • Won bid for Houston to be selected as a host city for the FIFA 2026 World Cup in Harris County’s own NRG Stadium. This builds on a tradition of hosting historic sporting events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NCAA Division I Basketball Final Four, and Major League Soccer Cup.
  • Upgraded Harris County jail tech infrastructure by adding thousands of new cameras and camera equipment, and making significant upgrades to the network architecture, including new flooring, paint, countertops, and cabinets.
  • Cut toll road rates by 10% for two-axle vehicles.
Supporting Veterans
  • Created a new, stand-alone Veterans Services Department. The County doubled the budget for the Department and is collaborating with local organizations to ensure our veterans and their families receive the programs and services they have earned through service to our country.
  • Coordinated financial support for veterans during COVID-19 crisis. The Harris County Veteran Services Department, in conjunction with the Texas Veterans Commission, received funding to provide short-term financial assistance for impacted veterans and their families.
  • Passed resolution to honor the service of Harris County Veterans who bravely defended our nation. Harris County is home to more than 180,000 veterans, the largest veteran population in Texas, and no veteran should go without benefits they rightfully earned.
Emergency Management
  • Launched a revamped ReadyHarris.org, the County’s flagship tool to inform residents on what to do before, during, and after disasters. The new site now includes user-friendly information on how residents can prepare for events and real-time alerts and information - like a live air monitoring map when needed -  on what is happening to protect residents.
  • Commissioned an independent review of our emergency response systems to continuously improve, identify and fill gaps when it comes to responding to future disasters. In response to this review, Judge Hidalgo has directed agencies to implement improvements, including improved air monitoring and information sharing.
  • Led successful response to Tropical Storm Imelda. The County stood up Local Recovery Centers 25 days before Federal disaster assistance center arrived to provide key resources for survivors. Judge Hidalgo also lead the charge to secure Federal recovery dollars from FEMA. To date, FEMA has provided over $8 million for Imelda survivors. Additionally, Judge Hidalgo secured access to low-interest federal disaster loans for the survivors of the Kingwood floods in May by working in partnership with Fort Bend County, the State of Texas, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
  • Launched the Imelda Assistance Fund in partnership with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. To date, the fund has raised over $500,000 in donations and commitments to provide additional resources for survivors.
  • Building up our Disaster Response Coordination Team with the addition of an Operations Section Chief, a Senior Advisor for Public Safety and Emergency Management, a second industry liaison, and a social media specialist. These additions allow for better coordination with industry and County departments as well as improved communication with the public during incidents.
  • Established a $30 million Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF) Program to assist struggling small businesses who have been unable to obtain financial assistance from other COVID-19 relief programs. The program will provide eligible businesses a grant of up to $25,000 to help cover payroll costs, rent, accounts payable, and other operating expenses. SBRF targets businesses with 30 or fewer employees and is designed to assist the most vulnerable Harris County small- and micro-enterprises impacted by the pandemic with mounting financial burdens. The SBRF is in addition to a $10 million fund Harris County established in April 2020 to provide grants for small businesses.
  • Established the COVID-19 Emergency Direct Assistance Program to provide one-time payments of $1,200 to families struggling with financial hardship related to COVID-19. Harris County and partner Catholic Charities completed a disbursement of $61.4 million to a total of 51,167 eligible households. In June 2021, Harris County allocated an additional $30 million to establish the Harris County Recovery Assistance (HCRA) relief fund to provide $1,500 one-time payments to 20,000 households. This is in addition to the COVID-19 Relief Fund established in April 2020 to provide much-needed relief to Harris County residents hardest hit financially by the pandemic, and ineligible or unable to wait for other assistance. The fund distributed $40 million in $1,200 and $1,500 grants to 18,659 applicants.
  • Established the COVID-19 Housing Legal Services Initiative to provide legal assistance for families at risk of eviction due to financial hardships brought on by COVID-19. Expanded the fund in March 2023  with $4 million for legal aid that will fund support for approximately 5,010 eligible cases total with approximately 90% receiving full representation and the remaining receiving brief services.
  • Established the Houston-Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program with the City of Houston to provide our hardest-hit residents with small grants to pay rent. As of November 4, 2021, the fund has acquired over $244 million in funding and provided assistance to 62,761 families.
    • Established an exciting research initiative with Princeton University’s Eviction Lab to inform academic research and conversations to advance public understanding of the eviction crisis.
  • Established the $8 million Eviction Intervention Program to divert eviction cases out of court, helping families avoid imminent homelessness and landlords recover overdue rent during the pandemic.
  • Established a $2.17 million COVID-19 Domestic Violence Assistance fund in 2020 to support survivors of domestic violence and help in providing an array of services including childcare, food, transportation, and housing during the pandemic. In 2022, added an additional $4.17 million in funding and appointed the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC) to administer the Fund and oversee funding to approximately 15 community-based organizations across the county that work with domestic violence survivors and their families. The funds can be used for any assistance to help survivors leave abusive situations or stabilize and build a new life after leaving.
  • Established the $4.7 million COVID-19 Childcare Assistance Program to provide some relief to parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provided funding for virtual learning, after school care, early childhood learning, and early childhood care.
  • Fighting food insecurity caused by the pandemic by pledging over $15.8 million dollars as well as county manpower to the Houston Food Bank, which provided for the purchase and distribution of 47.5 million meals for Harris County families in need.
  • Created a Roadmap to Reopen Schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research-based roadmap provided local school districts with data-based milestones to meet and safety guidelines to follow for realistic, responsible, safe, and sustainable reopening of schools.
  • Contributed $18 million in federal funds to the COVID Community-wide Housing Plan for local government and organizations to collaboratively address homelessness in the time of COVID-19. The contribution marks the single largest investment to address homelessness in Harris County history and will help provide housing services for 5,000 people.
  • Allocated $5.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Emergency Housing Vouchers to expand support services including move-in support, mental health and substance abuse services, and domestic violence-related services to assist people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness obtain and keep permanent housing.
  • Established the Harris County Digital Access Program to provide families with computer devices and hotspots for virtual schooling. The program designates over $42 million in Federal Cares Act dollars to provide 100,455 WiFi hotspots and 227,605 devices to families in need.
  • Established the Greater Houston 2021 Winter Storm Relief Fund to assist our region’s most vulnerable neighbors in their recovery. The fund raised more than $15 million in donations that has been distributed to non-profit organizations that support vulnerable families and individuals in critical need of home repairs due to busted pipes, water damage, and prolonged power loss during the recent freezing temperatures.
  • Created a Child Tax Credit engagement program in partnership with BakerRipley to conduct vital outreach to communities in need to ensure they file their taxes to claim the 2020 - 2021 elevated American Rescue Plan Child Tax Credit benefit.
  • Opened NRG Park Vaccination Center to administer COVID-19 vaccines to the public on demand.
  • Implemented $100 cash card incentive program to encourage Harris County residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. An estimated 39,700 additional first doses were administered to residents of Harris County - above and beyond the vaccinations that would have been administered without the program - as a direct result of this incentive program.
  • Launched the HCPH Vaccine Scholarship Program to award 10 scholarships of $5,000 each to students who have been vaccinated through HCPH.
  • Provided $30 million for surge nursing staff during the Delta outbreak and $41 million for surge nursing staff during the Omicron outbreak in our County’s hospital systems, to ensure that hospital capacity was not overwhelmed and prevent hospitals from having to ration care during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Launched the Stay Smart, Do Your Part Campaign to share correct, life-saving information on COVID-19. The campaign recruits community messengers to share evidence-based information to ensure our communities – particularly vulnerable communities – feel empowered to act.
  • Created the COVID-19 Threat Level System to provide guidance and information to community residents about evolving COVID-19 threat levels.
Protecting Workers & Families
  • Raised the County minimum wage to $15 an hour for employees and certain construction contract workers. The County has also passed a more inclusive nondiscrimination policy, including sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes.
  • Requiring those who do business with the County to support and protect workers. The County is establishing criteria for evaluating safety records for workers when considering awards for construction contracts.
  • Established an Immigrant Legal Services fund to inject fairness into our judicial system by providing immigrant families who cannot afford a lawyer with representation and legal services to ensure they are better prepared to navigate U.S. law and avoid deportation when warranted.
  • Stood up against the Trump administration’s effort to instill fear in our immigrant communities. Judge Hidalgo has worked to fight against family separation policies, planned immigration raids in the County, and the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. Additionally, the County filed a successful amicus brief against the Federal Government’s proposed “public charge rule” designed to threaten safety net services for immigrants and which would also overburden our county safety net systems.
  • Implemented family-friendly workplace policies proven to boost productivity and job satisfaction for all Harris County employees. Policies include up to 12 weeks paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers, additional sick leave to care for ill children, lactation rooms in county buildings, and resources for finding and selecting childcare.
  • Requiring those who do business with the County to support and protect workers. The County is establishing criteria for evaluating safety records for workers when considering awards for construction contracts.
  • Established an initiative to provide Harris County’s contractors with free OSHA training and certification.
  • Increased property tax exemptions for seniors and those with disabilities, expanding financial relief for more residents with limited or fixed incomes.
  • Tightened oversight of boarding houses to protect vulnerable seniors and persons with disabilities. Regulations now allow Harris County to oversee permits requiring background checks for owners, operators, and volunteers, housing standards, fire/kitchen inspections and more.
  • Established the Harris County Healthy Food Financing Initiative to mitigate the effects of food deserts and ensure access to nutritious food for all Harris County residents. To date, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative has awarded six local organizations working to further access to healthy foods and nutrition a total of $550k in funding.
  • Created the Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities initiative to engage and collaborate with local leaders in vulnerable communities to provide mental health programming, skill development, training, and outreach.  
  • Created the African American Cultural Heritage Commission to advise the county on how to protect and celebrate African American history and culture in Harris County.
  • Created the Women’s Commission to serve as an advisory board to Commissioners Court regarding matters concerning gender disparities in health and economic outcomes for the residents of Harris County.
  • Adopted guidelines to incorporate equity across all departments. The guidelines commit the Office of County Administration to deliver key initiatives to implement equity and outline strategies and opportunities for county departments to advance equity.
  • Established the Essential Workers Board to advise Harris County on worker protections and interests, the first of its kind in the nation. The board gives a voice to essential workers in shaping County policy and will focus on protecting communities, workers and businesses during public health emergencies; supporting worker-led, equitable, and cooperative solutions to improving worker’s protections on the job; and promoting safe and healthy workplaces across Harris County.
    • Created a stipend for board members to participate and eliminate barriers for participation.
  • Launched ACCESS Harris County Program, which ensures that County departments are working together to coordinate care and eliminate any gaps in services for our most vulnerable residents participating in County programs.
  • Hired five new positions to oversee affordable housing. The positions will be charged with overseeing multifamily and single family new housing supply and preservation, assistance for homeowners, legal aid and housing counseling.
  • Launched lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad Property for contamination in the 5th Ward’s Kashmere Gardens neighborhood. The Texas State Department of Health published a study which determined that residents in the same neighborhood have been diagnosed at higher-than-normal rates of lung, esophagus, and larynx cancers, which are all consistent with the chemical contaminant polluting the railroad property.
  • Approved a resolution in support of the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) at the State and Federal levels. CROWN aims to help eliminate discrimination based on hair texture and styles. Harris County is currently working to align its personnel policies with the CROWN Act to ensure that we have a respectful and open workplace for natural hair.
  • Approved Resolution to Urge Medicaid Expansion in Texas to individuals who don’t qualify for either Medicaid or Obamacare. About 1.4 million more Texans would become eligible for Medicaid coverage if the state were to expand its program, and about 75% of them would be people of color.
  • Created a Survivor Services fund to help immigrant survivors of crime receive the legal and social supports they need to report crimes and collaborate with law enforcement, bolstering safety for immigrants and all Harris County residents.
  • Established $20 million Lead Abatement and Prevention Program that will cover lead hazard abatement, blood level testing, and related efforts with the goal of 800 units abated and 20,000 tests conducted over four years. Harris County Public Health currently tests 1,500 children annually for elevated blood-lead levels and tests and renovates about 60 homes and child-occupied structures, such as daycares, annually.
  • Invested $35 million in a housing complex for youth transitioning out of foster care, which will provide housing and wraparound services for foster youth between the ages of 18 and 24.
  • Reduced homelessness by 21% from January 2020 to 2022 by providing safe and stable housing for 1,000 people experiencing homelessness at the height of the pandemic.
  • Established $14.3 million Behavioral and Mental Health Program to increase the quantity of trained mental health providers so they are better able to retain and hire more trained staff. The initiative will also recruit more high school and college students into the mental health profession, and will help connect residents with mental health and substance abuse resources that will aid in their recovery.
  • Invested $7.5 million to fight food insecurity in Harris County. This amount is in addition to the $15.8 million investment we made at the start of the pandemic and will help to continue our work to bring quality, affordable foods to key areas in Harris County with high rates of food insecurity, called food deserts. The County will partner with the Houston Food Bank, Small Places, The Common Market Texas, and Urban Harvest Inc. to provide programming that includes developing small urban farms and community gardens, distributing fresh, local foods, and providing nutritional programming.
  • Proactively approved a resolution supporting the federal Respect for Marriage Act, a piece of potential legislation that would be crucial for guaranteeing federal protection for same sex couples. The federal bill would provide statutory authority to same-sex and interracial marriages in anticipation of other regressive civil rights rulings under the current Supreme Court.
  • Implemented the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Energy Program, an emergency utility assistance program, with no cost to the County, that will provide up to $700 in electric bill assistance for some customers.
  • Donated old and out-of-service ballistic body armor equipment to Ukrainian troops. Harris County supports the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine and their fight for peace.
  • Expanded Employ2Empower Workforce program to employ 160 persons experiencing homelessness living in encampments and provide access to wrap-around service support.
  • After a draft opinion was leaked that outlined that the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, Harris County passed a resolution calling on Congress to take immediate action to protect and codify the rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade in the United States and affirming that Harris County stood in opposition to the draft opinion.
  • After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Harris County Commissioners Court took three immediate actions:
    • Judge Hidalgo directed Harris County to identify and recommend ways to promote and expand access to affordable and no cost contraception, sexual education, and family planning, as well as identify if there are ways for the County to promote safe abortions under current laws and regulations.
    • Judge Hidalgo also directed Harris County to identify and recommend proactive legislative efforts Commissioners Court could pursue to mitigate the impacts of Texas’s impending near total abortion ban, such as promoting the expansion of women's access to safe, reliable, and affordable contraceptive options and family planning services.
    • Harris County Commissioners Court passed a resolution promoting the expansion of access to safe, reliable, and affordable contraceptive options and family planning services, as well as ensuring that residents have the freedom to control their own bodies.
  • After the Texas State Legislature filed SB 8, a restrictive law banning abortion as early as six weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest, Judge Hidalgo brought a resolution to Commissioners Court proclaiming the county’s strong opposition to SB 8 and directing Harris County to investigate opportunities to support individuals impacted by SB 8 or otherwise mitigate the law’s negative effects.
  • Passed Resolution in Support of Transgender Youth and speaking out against two dozen discriminatory bills that were considered in the Texas Legislature targeting young transgender people, part of a wave of anti-transgender bills across the country.
  • Joined the “Ban the Box” movement to remove criminal history disclosures on county employment applications. This effort will prohibit Harris County from asking about a person’s arrest or conviction record before determining if they are otherwise qualified for a position, which means that questions about a candidate's past history will not automatically disqualify them from getting a job. By giving people a second chance to live productively and honestly, we are making Harris County a more inclusive and safer place to live.
  • Created a $6 million program to support access to reproductive services such as contraceptive services, family planning education, preconception health screenings, and STI testing, prevention, and education.
  • Eliminated fines for late returns of borrowed items from the Harris County Public Library.
  • Approved a new Harris County Contractor Safety Record Policy to ensure that Harris County works only with contractors and subcontractors that prioritize the health and safety of their workers.
  • Approved a new Pay Disparity Plan to ensure Harris County employees are paid fairly for their work.
  • Authorized amicus brief supporting City of Houston lawsuit against State of Texas Death Star Bill that will take away crucial worker protections like mandated water breaks for construction workers.
Gun Safety
  • Passed common-sense gun safety measures. Despite continued roadblocks at the Federal and State level, the County has taken action to expand programs designed to keep weapons away from domestic violence abusers, expedite checks to keep gun dealers from unknowingly selling to people convicted of crimes, and encourage the use of gun locks to keep guns from the hands of children. The County has also established a task force on violence and injury prevention that will study gun violence.
  • Passed a resolution that called for a special session of the Texas State Legislature to address gun violence and school safety following the Uvalde school shooting.
  • Hosting eight gun buyback events in conjunction with the Commissioner Precincts. The gun buyback events will allow gun owners to voluntarily and safely surrender personal firearms to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in exchange for gift cards. The goal is to take unwanted firearms off the streets and reduce the possibility that they could be a hazard at home or wind up in the wrong hands.
  • Directed Harris County to draft a report on the frequency, location, and causes of youth gun violence in Harris County from 2015 to the present. The report will include the most effective, evidence-based policy solutions to address and prevent youth gun violence and deaths of children due to gun violence and will require County researchers to consult with relevant stakeholders.

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