Primary Department: Commissioner, Precinct 4
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Lesley Briones, Commissioner
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Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): n/a
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): n/a
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): n/a
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Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
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Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval for Harris County Public Health to prepare a countywide strategy to address food insecurity.
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Background and Discussion:
Since 2020, Harris County has invested substantial funding to support families who cannot reliably access food. These efforts now support more than 4,000 households every week and have reached over 400,000 households since their inception.
Nearly 40% of Harris County households experience food insecurity, more than twice the national average according to the Greater Houston Community Panel survey. Furthermore, the survey revealed disparities in access to healthy food, with more than half of Black households and nearly half of Hispanic households reporting food insecurity, reflecting persistent racial and economic disparities.
Addressing food insecurity is a critical public health intervention that prevents avoidable illness and strengthens community well-being. It has been linked to chronic disease, poor maternal health outcomes, and developmental delays in children. If left unaddressed, food insecurity compounds existing health disparities, resulting in preventable disease and increased health-care costs.
To guide future investments, Harris County Public Health shall develop a comprehensive countywide food insecurity strategy. At ...
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