The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded Harris County and Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) more than $10 million to support transportation infrastructure projects that aim to enhance resiliency against climate change.   The announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's broader initiative, the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) program, established under the Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. PROTECT will fund nearly $830 million in grants for 80 projects nationwide.   According to DOT, Harris County will receive more than $9.6 million to develop a master plan evaluating drainage infrastructure capacity of local roadways within the county’s unincorporated areas that are experiencing rapid growth and frequent flooding. Meanwhile, H-GAC is set to receive $1.1 million to create a Resilience Improvement Plan for transportation systems across the eight-county region that are prone to severe weather, natural disasters and flooding.   “Every community in America knows the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, including increasingly frequent heavy rain and flooding events across the country and sea-level rise that is inundating infrastructure in coastal states,” said Shailen Bhatt of the Federal Highway Administration in a statement. “This investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will ensure our infrastructure is built to withstand more frequent and unpredictable extreme weather, which is vitally important for people and businesses that rely on roads and bridges being open to keep our economy moving.”   As a city that has experienced six federally declared flooding disasters since 2015, these projects are critical to Houston’s prosperity. To further advance public policies like PROTECT, the Greater Houston Partnership recently visited Washington, D.C., to advocate for the use of funds from the new Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program, which would provide billions of dollars for flood mitigation projects in the Houston region.  Additionally, alongside federal, state and local elected officials, the Partnership has actively been working to propel the coastal barrier project, also known as Ike Dike, forward. This crucial infrastructure project, which is on the verge of being authorized by Congress, will help mitigate crippling flooding from catastrophic storm surges and save tens of billions of dollars in disaster recovery funding by protecting vulnerable communities. The barrier will also safeguard the Houston Ship Channel, which serves as an economic engine helping to power the nation.   Learn more about the Partnership’s Public Policy Efforts.  

In recent years, Houston's academic landscape has witnessed a remarkable surge in endowments among its universities and colleges, garnering substantial support from donors for their efforts in driving innovation, advancing research and bolstering the region’s future workforce.  In 2021, Rice University exemplified this trend by achieving an endowment exceeding $8 billion. Building upon this success in 2022, the university maintained its strong position by securing the second-largest endowment assets in the Houston area, totaling an impressive $7.8 billion, as reported in the university's Endowment Report.  These substantial endowment assets serve as the cornerstone of Rice's financial stability, enabling the institution to fuel various initiatives aimed at advancement. From expanding faculty and introducing innovative programs to constructing cutting-edge facilities, the university's investments pave the way for groundbreaking research endeavors.  In 2023, Rice unveiled its most ambitious project yet—the Ralph S. O'Connor Building for Engineering and Science, sprawling 250,000 square-foot facility devoted to research, the university’s largest to date. Designed to foster collaboration among students and researchers, the building promises to be a hub for groundbreaking discoveries. Its realization was made possible by a generous $57 million donation from the founder of Ralph S. O'Connor & Associates.  San Jacinto College saw the largest growth in endowment assets among local universities and colleges, jumping from $7.4 million in 2019 to $25.2 million in 2022, according to the university’s Donor Impact Report.   In 2021, the college received its most substantial donation in history, a $30 million contribution from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. This gift now supports the Student Success Fund Endowment to expand Promise @ San Jac Scholarships, which provides free tuition to recent graduates from local ISDs.  Additionally, in 2023, the college received $1.5 million from Houston Endowment to launch its second bachelor’s degree – a Bachelor of Applied Science in Education with an emphasis in early childhood education, which aims to fill the region’s teacher shortage.   As these institutions continue to see a rapid flow of philanthropic investments, the growth in endowments plays a pivotal role in enhancing educational opportunities and resources for students. Simultaneously, this serves as a catalyst for attracting top talent and cultivating a skilled pool of graduates prepared to meet the evolving needs of the region’s workforce.  Learn more about Houston’s universities and colleges.