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Houston will apply for over $80.5 million in grants to help fund public safety efforts while it hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.
On Feb. 18, Houston City Council approved the city’s public safety department to apply for two federal grants to enhance security and preparedness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What this means
One grant for $15.8 million will allow the city to purchase advanced drone detection and mitigation technology, according to the agenda item.
“Sometimes at these events there will be drones up in the air, and nobody will know who they belong to or who’s controlling them,” council member Julian Ramirez said. “So this system allows them to protect the public against someone who would do harm using a drone.”
The other grant for $64.6 million will enhance security at official World Cup venues through the purchase of safety equipment, temporary security infrastructure, traffic and crowd management, and communication tools, according to the Office of Public Safety.
The grant will also help enhance current public safety initiatives, said Alison Belcher, deputy director of the mayor’s office of public safety and homeland security.
“Maintaining public safety remains a top priority, and all initiatives are designed to build upon and align with existing local, state and federal efforts,” Belcher said. “These funds will be used to strengthen and augment established safety and security operations, enhancing coordination, preparedness and response capabilities in support of the World Cup.”
Belcher added that upgrades for the World Cup will be applied to the city’s capabilities for future events. She said whenever there is a major event that requires high levels of security, such as the World Cup, the city’s security capabilities extend beyond the event.
However, federal funding will not cover the full scope of expenses, Belcher said. Funding for additional security will be a shared responsibility among local partners.
“Local partners have already committed significant resources and planned investments to support safety operations, demonstrating a shared responsibility and sustained commitment to the event’s success,” Belcher said.
What’s next
As of Feb. 17, Ramirez said the timeline for approval of the grant is unknown, and the city could receive it as a reimbursement after the World Cup.
“Typically when [public safety] apply for these grants, they’ve got a pretty good idea that they’re going to get them," Ramirez said.
