Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: David Berry, County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA:
? Regular RCA
? Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): 21GEN2477
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
MWDBE Participation (if applicable): N/A
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of County Administration and the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity for approval of an amendment to the contract with Catholic Charities in the additional amount of $32,700,000 for the expansion of the Harris County Recovery Assistance Program.
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Background and Discussion:
On June 29, 2021, Commissioners Court approved the Harris County Recovery Assistance Program administered by Catholic Charities, providing $1,500 in flexible financial assistance to 20,000 low-income households that have experienced economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The original contract with Catholic Charities provided $30M in flexible financial assistance and $2.7M to operate the program, including application processing and payment, call center operation, technology platform, and outreach to vulnerable populations in partnership with nonprofits and other local entities.
Demand for the program has been high, with over 200,000 applications received to date. The need for assistance is great, with applicants still facing unemployment, reduced working hours, childcare shortages, medical expenses, and other COVID-related challenges. Commissioners Court approved the intent to expand the Harris County Recovery Assistance Program on August 10, 2021.
Expected Impact:
The contract amendment will provide an additional $30M in flexible financial assistance, allowing the Harris County Recovery Assistance Program to serve an additional 20,000 households, for a total of 40,000 households to be served. The amendment also includes ...
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