MWBE Program Update Today at Commissioners Court

Dear Friend,

We must ensure that minorities, women, and other historically disadvantaged groups have equal access to economic opportunity. Since I took office in 2017, implementing equitable contracting practices in Harris County has been a priority. In June 2020, Harris County released a Disparity Study, which my precinct funded, that revealed the depth of the inequity.

Only 9.1% of Harris County’s contract dollars go toward Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE), even though these firms make up 28.4% of the available market share of services that our county typically procures.

Due to the inequity exposed by the disparity study, Commissioners Court voted to be part of helping to end racial inequality and inequity in our communities by creating a Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprises program (MWBE) in November 2020.

Today at Commissioners Court (watch virtually), Pamela Chan, Director of the Harris County Office of Economic Equity and Opportunity and Harris County Purchasing Department will give the court an update on the implementation of the MWBE program, which will reduce barriers to prime contract awards by providing race and gender conscious measures to our selection process.

Although the program will not be fully implemented until February 2022, I fully expect today's update will demonstrate that Harris County is on the path to helping to ensure that minorities, women, and other historically disadvantaged groups have equal access to economic opportunity.