Department: Purchasing
Department Head/Elected Official: Paige McInnis
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): 220395
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Neighborhood Defender Service, Inc.
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): 0%
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: 0% - Non-Divisible
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of the Purchasing Agent that the County Judge execute an amendment to an agreement with Neighborhood Defender Service, Inc. to decrease funds in the amount of $600,000 to update the budget contained in the Best and Final Offer (Exhibit B) and Federal Award Identification Table (Exhibit E) for legal aid and eviction services for the Housing and Community Development Department for the extended period of January 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025 (220395), Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: 0% - Non-Divisible.
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Background and Discussion:
In 2021, Harris County established the Housing Legal Services Initiative ("HLSI" or "the Initiative"), in response
to an anticipated increase in number of evictions, especially for non-payment of rent due to household
financial losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lift of the National Center for Disease and Control
(CDC) eviction moratorium, and to maximize the impact of the County's COVID-19 rental assistance program.
Harris County seeks to maximize the impact of its COVID-19 rental assistance funding by investing in eviction
defense legal services for low-income residents. Harris County has had an increased number of evictions,
especially for non-payment of rent due to household financial losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing instability has lasting negative health and financial impacts on the families losing their homes as well
as their communities. During the public health crisis and aftermath, the COVID-19 Housing ...
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