It's been a rough week for Harris County Judge Hidalgo. Her attempt to have taxpayers foot the bill for her trip to Paris was shot down. Then, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced she is running for Hidalgo's seat. And now, with Lina still off in France, the millions of dollars that have been set aside for the 'Uplift Harris' handout program, have been diverted to other programs.
The move happened today after a 3-1 vote at Harris County Commissioners Court.
According to our tv partner, KPRC channel 2, The repurposed funds will be divided up for three different purposes: $8 million for rental assistance to deter evictions, $8 million for homeless initiatives, and $2.5 million for food insecurity.
The “Uplift Harris” program, launched in 2023, and promised $500 per month for 18 months to 1,928 households selected from more than 82,000 applicants.
Seen as completely unfair, and an attempt to buy votes in Democrat districts, the program had been under heavy scrutiny by most people, as well as state lawmakers. The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 2010, authored by Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), which would prohibit cities, counties, and other political subdivisions in Texas from using public funds for guaranteed income programs.