Government
BY MELISSA ENAJE & CASSIE JENKINS
Harris County expands citizenship programs Harris County commissioners announced Jan. 23 the launch of a three-year, $5.8 million program that aims to assist the county’s legal permanent residents in becoming naturalized U.S. citizens. Funding was allocated with a $4 million grant from the nonpro t Houston Endowment and an additional $1.8 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The details Under a coordinated e ort overseen by the Harris County Community Services Department, a network of public partners and the Harris County Public Library, the organizations will provide assistance such as civic education classes, natural- ization interview preparation, legal services and funds to cover application fees. HCPL will supplement its volunteer tutor team with 10 full-time instructors, library o cials said.
Art projects coming to high-crime areas O cials with Harris County’s crime pre- vention and neighborhood safety program are launching a $3 million public art-based initiative in 11 communities that aims to shape the physical space, spur economic development and promote social change. Explained The 11 neighborhoods include Alief, Bar- rett, Cloverleaf, Cypress Station, East Aldine, Gulfton, Highlands, Northshore, Sharpstown, South Houston and Sunnyside. They were prioritized based on violent crime rates and lack of infrastructure, according to county administration o cials. Precinct o cials can request proposals for projects such as murals, sculptures, artistic crosswalks and park installations through the third quarter of 2024.
In the Gulf Coast region, 94.9% of the population that hold lawful permanent residency and are eligible to become U.S. citizens reside in three counties. The path to citizenship
Harris County 195,530 Fort Bend County 33,400 Montgomery County 10,580 Brazoria County 7,500 Galveston County 5,500
U.S. citizenship eligibility by county*
*DOES NOT INCLUDE PEOPLE BORN IN THE U.S.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in the region:
More than 123,600 of those eligible for citizenship came from a pool of people who were immediate relatives of U.S. citizens More than 29,800 lawful permanent residents spend at least 10 years until they meet the requirements for citizenship eligibility
SOURCE: 2022 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DATA FROM HARRIS, FORT BEND, MONTGOMERY, GALVESTON AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES COMMUNITY IMPACT
Houston City Council appoints METRO board chair Houston City Council approved the appointment of Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock as board chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County during a Feb. 21 council meeting.
What they’re saying Brock is the rst Hispanic woman to chair the state’s largest transit authority. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the mayor, the METRO board and all levels
The details Brock serves as vice president of Utility Infra- structure Planning and Policy at CenterPoint Energy. Prior to CenterPoint, she worked in a variety of leadership positions at places such as: • Reliant Energy • Texas Southern University • University of Houston
of government to transform METRO into a best-in-class model of transit, accountability and transparency,” she said in a news release. Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock
METRO operates approximately 83 local bus routes, 31 commuter bus routes, three light rail lines and one bus rapid transit line across 1,309 square miles. Brock will replace Sanjay Ram- abhadran, whose term as chair has expired.
#StopHateNow
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has prosecuted 77 hate crime cases in the last 7 years. The most ever, by any District Attorney’s office in Texas. If you see or experience a hate crime, report it.
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