Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income and Minority Households 05/28/2020 Prior to outbreak of the novel coronavirus low-income and minority communities experienced disproportionate health outcomes such as reduced access to health insurance, reduced access to financial support, increased prevalence of illnesses like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure—and the current outbreak is compounding existing disadvantages and the social statuses are not distinct. This memo outlines strategies policymakers can adopt to mitigate these impacts. Read More
Cost Estimate of Harris County Services for an Individual Experiencing Homelessness 08/12/2020 Costs for services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness vary widely depending upon the root cause of homelessness and the service response needed. Root causes such as job loss, natural disaster, mental illness, or substance or alcohol addiction often require individuals to draw upon multiple County services. This report estimates the total annual average costs per person incurred to Harris County for services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness. Read More
Zero Based Budgeting Analysis 07/21/2020 This report provides an overview of Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB) - a method of budgeting that compels budgeting entities to create budgets starting from zero and provide justifications for each expenditure for consideration by decision-makers. This report highlights four case studies that demonstrate how local governments have applied variations of ZBB and includes three policy options for Harris County Commissioners Court to consider. Read More