The Houston City Council approved two ordinances in February, authorizing the city to apply for Harris County Precinct One Partnership Grants to fund park improvements in Districts B and D.
This allows the City to seek funding for the construction of the Tidwell Park Aquatic Facility in District B, represented by Council Member Tarsha Jackson. The second authorizes an application for improvements at Cloverland Park in District D, represented by Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz.
The funding would come through the Plan Together program, an initiative led by Harris County Precinct One under Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Ellis’ office told the Defender.
Both Evans-Shabazz and Ellis’ offices said they are awaiting the timeline for the grant’s issuance.
According to Ellis, the program is backed by a $37 million investment to improve safety, accessibility, public health, and resilience through equitable infrastructure across the precinct.
“Every neighborhood, regardless of the ZIP code, deserves safe streets and adequate lighting – especially those in unincorporated areas that don’t have city governments to make necessary infrastructure investments,” Ellis said in a statement about the program.
While the Plan Together program includes funding categories such as orphan roads, street lights, traffic calming, and school safety, it also allocates funds for partnership projects that meet precinct standards and cannot be removed or changed without the commissioner’s office’s concurrence.
For Evans-Shabazz, whose district includes a large Black population in southeast Houston, the Cloverland Park proposal represents an opportunity to enhance neighborhood green space.
“It’s an improvement grant that authorizes the director to solicit these funds,” Evans-Shabazz said. “We always appreciate anything that helps us to enhance our green spaces.”
She said park investments can help address long-standing equity concerns in communities of color.
“It means a great deal to know that we are the recipient of resources which are well needed,” she said, adding that such investments help communities “feel valuable” and provide resources necessary to move forward with improvements.
“It’s ideal when the youth can engage in our parks, because the streets are not safe,” Evans-Shabazz added. “Being able to provide safer environments with amenities and resources means a great deal to our youth.”
The ordinances approved by Council authorize submission of the applications but do not guarantee funding. Evans-Shabazz said that the city is in the early stages of the process and that award timelines are not yet clear.
If awarded, the grants would support infrastructure upgrades intended to strengthen public spaces in Districts B and D.
