On Oct. 29, Harris County commissioners voted to designate $18.9 million in federal funds for 22 organizations throughout Harris County to help support an array of causes such as helping residents in need, expanding health care access and reducing violent crime.

Two minute impact

The funds can be used to improve the organizations’ program capacity by improving facilities or “capacity building efforts,” according to Oct. 29 meeting documents. American Rescue Plan Act funds will be used to fund the projects for the 22 Harris County organizations.

The county’s contract will begin Nov. 1 and run through Sept. 20, 2026, according to Oct. 29 meeting documents. The organizations receiving the largest portions of the $18.9 million funding pool include:
  • About $3.51 million for Kids Meals, Inc. for the organization’s Building Hope Capital Campaign in Precincts 3 and 4
  • About $2.1 million for Memorial Assistance Ministries—in Precinct 3—for construction for a building expansion
  • About $1.53 million for HOPE Clinic—in Precinct 4—for renovations and service expansion at the Beltway location
  • About $1.45 million for TOMAGWA Ministries—in Precinct 3—to help underserved residents in northwest Harris County experiencing primary care disparities
  • About $1.13 million for Ibn Sina Foundation to address behavioral health in Precinct 4
Nine organizations in Precinct 1 and eight organizations in Precinct 2 received funding for their projects, according to the documents. Meanwhile, Precincts 3 and 4 dedicated funding to two separate projects each, and one joint project together.
Looking back

In 2021, the U.S. Treasury allocated $915 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under ARPA to Harris County. Since then, funding has been distributed amongst five categories, with the largest amount going toward jobs and education:
  • Health: $161 million
  • Housing: $120 million
  • Jobs and education: $207 million
  • Justice and safety: $120 million
  • County operations: $35 million
Harris County commissioners have until the end of 2024 to fully obligate the remainder of its $915 million in federal funding, as previously reported by Community Impact.


Before the Oct. 29 allocation, commissioners had distributed $19.9 million in these federal funds for community facilities, nonprofits and infrastructure investments, according to Oct. 29 meeting documents.

Diving in deeper

Commissioners voted 4-1 to allocate the ARPA funding for the projects, with Judge Lina Hidalgo dissenting. Hidalgo expressed concern that the organizations receiving the funds were selected by a committee made up of precinct staff.

“I looked at the 22 organizations,” Hidalgo said. “They’re good projects. ... but I’m just concerned with the vendor selection process ... I think it puts all of us as members of the court and the county at risk for selection processes to be in any way biased or to be perceived as biased.”


The court also allocated about $1.02 million in funding to use for “project monitoring and compliance,” according to Oct. 29 meeting documents.