Department: Commissioner, Precinct 2
Department Head/Elected Official: Adrian Garcia
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval to consider and take appropriate action to establish a Harris County Latino Equity Initiative and direct the Office of County Administration (OCA) to coordinate the effort in collaboration with County departments and community partners.
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Background and Discussion:
The October 2023 Harris County Snapshot, published by the former Commissioners Court Analyst's Office (now the Research and Analysis Division of the OCA), offers a detailed examination of Harris County's current state and future direction through 47 data indicators. The data highlights that Latinos in Harris County continue to face disparities compared to non-Hispanic Whites in areas such as economic stability, social conditions, and health.
As of 2022, Latinos made up 44.6% of Harris County's estimated population of 4,780,913. This Latino population, exceeding 2.1 million, is diverse in terms of race, nationality, religion, immigrant status, and language.
In 2021, the latest year for which data is available, the median household income for Latinos in Harris County was $54,241, significantly lower than the $94,568 for non-Hispanic Whites. The poverty rate among Latinos stands at 19.6%, more than double the 8.3% rate for non-Hispanic Whites. Educational attainment for Latinos also trails behind that of non-Hispanic Whites, Asians, and Black or African American residents in achieving both high school diplomas and bachelor's degrees. Additionally, Latinos are more likely to be uninsured compared to other groups, except for American Ind...
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