City Breaks Ground on New Alief Neighborhood Center & Park |
|
Mayor Sylvester Turner, District F Council Member Tiffany Thomas, and City of Houston department directors broke ground on a new $54-million mixed use center off Bellaire Blvd. and Kirkwood that will accommodate three City of Houston facilities under one roof.
The Alief Neighborhood Center is the first City of Houston facility designed specifically to provide the delivery of popular public services through the Library, Parks and Recreation, and Health departments' combined resources. Read more in the press release.
|
|
Phase 2 Action Plans and Community Projects Moving Forward |
|
On November 18, Complete Communities’ Director Shannon Buggs presented an update on Phase 2 of the Complete Communities initiative at the City Council Quality of Life Committee meeting chaired by Council Member Gallegos’ . View a copy of the presentation.
Projects in Your Community
The Phase 2 Complete Communities have begun to put projects into motion! Planning Department staff members met with Neighborhood Support Teams and Work Groups in October and November to discuss strategies and partnerships that can be launched in support of top priority Action Plan projects and programs. To find out what your community is working on, and to participate, join one of the upcoming meeting – dates, times, and dial-in information are listed here: www.LetsTalkHouston.org.
Pilot Round Check-in
Planners will soon reach out to the Pilot Round communities to check in, review project activity, recap successes and identify projects to work on next. Look for the planners to reach out to you soon to schedule a meeting in the beginning of the year.
|
|
City Launches Computer Access Program |
|
Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force has partnered with Comp-U-Dopt, a non-profit providing technology access and education to underserved youth, to distribute up to 1,900 computers for free to qualifying applicants from now until Dec. 30, 2020.
To qualify for the Computer Access Program, applicants must:
- reside in the city of Houston and meet two additional sets of criteria.
-
demonstrate that their total household income prior to February 2020 was lower than 80 percent of the Area Median Income.
- be a member of one of the following groups: persons over age 65, persons with disabilities, households with children less than five years of age, or opportunity youth, defined as persons ages 16-24 who are not currently enrolled in school or participating in the workforce.
|
|
New City Food Insecurity Program Launched to Provide 20,000 Restaurant Meals to Residents in Complete Communities and Other Underserved Neighborhoods |
|
Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force has partnered with Lemond Kitchen, a local catering company to launch the Houston Eats Restaurant Support (H.E.R.S.) Program. Lemond Kitchen will lead 15 small, Houston-based restaurants and catering companies in the production and delivery of up to 20,000 meals per week through the end of the year. City Council approved a $2.2 million relief program to support this program and assist local restaurants to provide meals to Houstonians impacted by COVID-19.
To qualify to be part of the program, both restaurants and meal recipients need to be located in one of 31 ZIP codes including the City’s Complete Communities and other neighborhoods that were identified by the H.E.R. Task Force this Spring based on CDC social vulnerability data. These ZIP codes include:77003, 77004, 77009, 77011, 77012, 77016, 77020, 77021, 77022, 77026, 77028, 77029, 77033, 77036, 77040, 77045, 77051, 77053, 77060, 77071, 77072, 77074, 77076, 77078, 77081, 77087, 77088, 77091, 77093, 77099, and 77489.
|
|
Turnaround Houston Virtual Fair Featured 1,400 Available Jobs |
|
In October, the City of Houston hosted a virtual Turnaround Houston Readiness Fair where job seekers could interview on the spot for more than 1,400 available jobs and connect with hiring managers and company representatives, as well as find information about job readiness tools, training and continued education. There were 890 full-time and 591 part-time positions available for job seekers to browse in the online job portal.
The Office of Business Opportunity event was held in partnership with the Office of Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz – Houston City Council District D and Workforce Solutions. Turnaround Houston, which combines the elements of a job fair and a resource center, is a community-based initiative created by Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2016. It is designed to help Houstonians turn their lives around by providing them with vital resources that can assist them with eliminating employment barriers. Based on the interest and success of the event, the Office of Business Opportunity plans to host another online job fair in the coming months.
|
|
What You Can Do to Protect Your Pipes |
|
Pipes clogged with fats, oils and grease poured down sink drains and stuffed with wipes flushed in toilets cause many of the sanitary sewer overflows in Houston. This particular household debris blocks our wastewater lines and causes overflows into our streets and homes that harm our environment and health.
Houston Public Works is launching the “Protect Our Pipes” campaign to remind all Houstonians to dispose of fats, oils, and grease in the trash and to only flush the “3 Ps” — pee, poo and paper. You can dispose of leftover cooking waste with these easy steps: pour it in a jar, can, or bag, cool it, and once full, toss it in the trash.
|
|
Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force
Accepting Applications
|
|
The Community Flood Resilience Task Force (CFRTF) announced that applications are now open for remaining Task Force positions. The CFRTF is looking for multi-disciplinary members who are committed to serving the community and represent the geographic, gender, age, racial, and ethnic diversity of Harris County. The Task Force aims to further effective flood resiliency efforts across the County. Submit applications at CFRTF.harriscountytx.gov by Dec. 11. There you will also find more information on the current members, Guiding Principles of the Task Force, and relevant background.
|
|
Weekly Food and PPE distribution held Tuesdays and Thursdays |
|
The Astros Foundation has partnered with several organizations to host weekly drive-through distributions of milk, fresh produce and disposable masks at the Astros Youth Academy, which is located at Sylvester Turner Park (2801 Victory Drive). Distributions are being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning at 3:00 p.m. and will continue through the end of the year. Distributions are limited to 650 families per day and are on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Houston Food Bank, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, the Mayor’s Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force and the Houston Police Department have all partnered to support this endeavor. The Astros Foundation Volunteer Corp and the Mayor’s Office of Special Events work at the site to distribute the products while the HPD provides traffic control. The masks are being donated by the H.E.R. Task Force and the milk and fresh produce is being provided by the Houston Food Bank.
“Due to COVID-19, our Astros Youth Academy is currently closed, so why not utilize the space to support the community in other ways”, said Astros Foundation Executive Director Twila Carter. “Flexibility in times like these is important. It seemed natural to partner with The Houston Food Bank to address food insecurities in the Acres Homes Community, a humbling reminder that we can all step up to the plate to assist others.”
|
|
HOPE Clinics Hosts Winter Wonderland Food Fair
Hope Clinic, Houston Food Bank, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and West Houston Assistance Ministries will host a Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru Food Fair on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at LeRoy Crump Stadium, 12321 High Star Dr.
The event features festive music and more. Drive through to get fresh produce. Just pop your trunk, with no need to exit the car. Free gift cards will be given to the first 50 families. This event is not related to the event sponsored by the Alief Independent School District.
|
|
Complete Communities & Super Neighborhood Meeting Notices
Fort Bend Houston
NST / Working Group Meeting
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Or Call In (audio only):
Phone Conference ID: 336 132 789
Fort Bend Houston Super Neighborhood Meeting
Every second Thursday of the month, 6:30 p.m.
For Zoom link contact:
Carl David Evans, President
(713) 787-9950
|
|
Fort Bend Houston Receives Air Quality Monitors
Apis air monitors were installed in strategic locations throughout the Fort Bend Houston area. The monitors will help measure the levels of undetectable gasses and other toxic pollutants in the air. The mission is to eliminate toxic air exposure in the community and influence stronger environmental policies in Texas.
Funding for the monitors were provided by, the Institute for Sustainable Communities. Other partners include: Fort Bend Houston Super Neighborhood #41, Fort Bend Houston Environmental Committee and Air Alliance Houston.
|
|
Gulfton Pop-up Bike Lane Demonstration |
|
Bicycle riders of all ages, residents and volunteers gathered at Benavidez Elementary School in Gulfton on Saturday, Oct. 31 when Planning and Development staff created a temporary bike lane for the day.
This socially-distanced, outdoor event allowed Gulfton community members to get hands-on experience with a bike lane while learning the benefits of using crosswalks, bike lanes, and other traffic mobility solutions.
Thank you to District J Council Member Edward Pollard, Houston Public Works, Gulfton Super Neighborhood #27, Connect Community, Freewheels Houston, Houston BCycle, BikeHouston, Benavidez Elementary School and our Planning and Development Department team.
Support for the demonstration was provided by an AARP Community Challenge Grant.
|
|
Housing Counselors Can Assist Residents Recovering from Harvey |
|
Were you affected by Hurricane Harvey and having financial difficulties? The Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation continues to assist residents recovering from long-term impacts of the storm. A housing counselor can:
- Meet with you virtually or over the phone
- Assess your housing, financial, and other issues caused by the disaster
- Discuss the best resources for assistance
- Help communicate with your lender, insurance company and government agencies
- Recommend financial and other tools to help you solve current problems and avoid future ones
|
|
December Work Group Meeting To Be Announced |
|
The next Magnolia Park/Manchester Complete Communities NST/Working Group meeting will take place in December. Visit the Let’s Talk Houston website for upcoming information about the date and time of this meeting.
At this meeting, we will discuss ideas and suggestions on how to implement the following project:
Improve outreach strategies and keep residents informed. Action Steps: Expand outreach efforts both inside and outside of the community, utilizing tools such as social media, texting, flyers, mail, radio, television, telephone calls, and other methods to ensure residents are connected to resources and information.
This is a project identified by the NST to work on based on the input collected during the recent neighborhood support team (NST) meeting.
|
|
Castillo Park Improvements |
|
Several park improvements were recently completed in Castillo Park thanks to several partners. Picnic tables and barbecue grills were replaced and the fencing and drinking fountains were painted. The benches were also refurbished with new wood slats and the concrete will be power washed.
Houston Parks Board was the project manager for this work, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) performed the bench refurbishments and repaved the concrete for the ADA ramps and water fountains. HPARD provided the funding for the bench refurbishments and concrete work, and funding for the other improvements came from a Houston Endowment grant.
|
|
East End Bike Plan Community Launch December 5 |
|
Help make East End more bike-friendly! Check out one of three engagement stations from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 5 Learn more at http://eastendbikeplan.com.
|
|
Neighborhood Character Protections
Minimum Lot Size (MLS) and Minimum Building Line (MBL) ordinances are two neighborhood character protection tools that are regulated by the Planning and Development Department. By establishing this standard, lots cannot be subdivided below the “special minimum” lot size in the designated area. For instance, if 5,000 square feet was established as the special minimum lot size, a lot could not be divided into lots smaller than that size. Similar to MLS, an established minimum building line, or setback, establishes that structures must be constructed behind the minimum building line. Currently, there are 5 MLS ordinances approved by City Council in Second Ward. Learn more about how to apply or call 832-393-6637.
|
|
Garden in Sunnyside on Thursdays
Join Complete Communities, the Houston Health Department and Fresh Life Organic Houston every Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon while we replant the garden at the Sunnyside Multiservice Center. Please contact Alecia Williams at 832-716-3974 or Jeremy Peaches at 832-439-9487 for more information.
|
|
Emancipation Park Conservancy Hosts Holiday in the Tre |
|
The Second Annual Holiday in the Tre celebration is a free virtual experience on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. hosted on the Emancipation Park Conservancy Facebook page. Holiday in the Tre is a signature, annual outdoor event created to celebrate the holidays while also encouraging community collaborations, economic empowerment, and awareness. The free event is hosted by ABC 13's Samica Knight and features virtual entertainment from Houston favorites including Shawn Sounds, Nesha Cotez, David de la Garza and Patrice Dominique. The event also includes entertainment, vendors, an interactive kid’s zone, bike and toy giveaways, photos with Santa and an official holiday tree lighting. Several community partners participated with holiday activities including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston Southeast, and S.H.A. P.E. Community Center.
|
|
Complete Communities is a collaborative effort involving the community and all City of Houston Departments and Divisions with City leadership from:
|
Sign-up to receive updates on activities taking place in your Complete Communities neighborhood!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
