Harris County begins notifying applicants accepted into Guaranteed Income Program
The Uplift Harris Guaranteed Income Program has officially begun notifiying applicants who have been accepted into the program. The program will provide $500 monthly payments to nearly 2,000 households with an income below 200% of the federal poverty level ($60,000 a year for a family of four), for 18 months. According to Harris County Public Health, individuals who have been accepted will have four weeks to complete enrollment to the program either online or in person. The first payments are expected to go out in late April. More than 82,000 residents applied for the program, and about 6,000 of them were chosen to advance past the first stage of the selection process. From there, candidates were chosen through a lottery system. The program is funded by a $20.5 million federal grant from the American Rescue Plan Act. Applicants who have not been notified but want to still check their status can visit https://uplift.harriscountytx.gov.
Houston Health Department hosts community health fairs
The Houston Health Department and the Ibn Sina Foundation are partnering to provide free or low-cost vaccinations, health screenings, and education. A series of community health fairs are being hosted across the City of Houston throughout the year. Twelve community “health improvement” fairs are being organized through the health department’s Community Assistance and Transition Care of Houston Initiative (CATCH). Six zip codes, including 77022, 77093, 77016, 77026, 77028, and 77076 were identified as areas where health attention is needed the most. Participants will also get the opportunity to enroll in medical benefits that include Harris Health Gold Card, SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare and Women, and Infants and Children benefits (WIC). Residents are being asked to provide items such as an identification or passport, social security cards, utility bill or receipt, proof of income, and a current bank statement to see if they qualify for benefits. Read more on defendernetwork.com to see a list of upcoming locations.
Local teen pregnancy shelter to open in Northside Houston
A new teen pregnancy shelter has opened on Houston’s Northside. Taylor’s House of Hope will provide pregnant teens with emotional, maternal health, and mental health support in the Houston area. They will also eventually be able to provide teens with a temporary home or help them find a more permanent living situation. Taylor Harris started the House of Hope in 2019 and will now be running the facility near the Hardy Toll Road and Little York with her mother. She said she was inspired to start this organization because she was once in the same position. Harris said they are currently looking for 12 teens that will go through a nine-week program. Harris partnered with Community Health Choice to provide the essentials needed at the community baby showers. Community Health Choice has been working with Harris since 2020.
