The fight for fair government contracting
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Dear Friends,
We are fighting for a fairer economy for all people in Harris County, but right now it’s incredibly hard for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses to get a fair shot.
To understand the full scope of the problem, I proposed Harris County conduct a disparity study to examine this gulf. As a result, the county developed a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program in our new Department of Economic Opportunity and Opportunity (DEOO).
We didn’t stop there. I have continued to champion disparity studies at various entities in the county. In partnership with Commissioner Adrian Garcia, I have created a $200,000 Disparity Study Fund for local school districts and community colleges to identify the scope of the inequities in
their contracting.
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In fact, Harris Health just recently released the results of their own disparity study. This was the first time that Harris Health had examined disparities in contracting. You can explore Harris Health's Disparity Study and our work to advance access to economic opportunity.
As the Houston Chronicle reported, we see significant disparities between MWBE utilization and availability in Harris Health contracts. What we’re seeing in one disparity study after another is that MWBEs don’t have a fair shot. The findings from the Harris Health study aren’t a surprise, but now it’s documented. And that means we can do something about it.
I see this fight for fair government contracting as a powerful economic development tool that will give folks a chance to fairly compete for contracts and create jobs and wealth in their communities. When we create jobs and wealth, we improve outcomes across the board—the health and safety of our community depend on reducing inequality.
Sincerely,
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Harris County Precinct One
Downtown Office
1001 Preston, 9th Floor
713-274-1000
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