About The

Uplift Harris/Community Prosperity Program

Due to litigation filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Harris County has closed the Uplift Harris and Community Prosperity Program. As a result, no payments were issued to selected program participants.

Click here to learn more about Harris County Public Health's active programs and services. 

In June 2023, Harris County Commissioners Court invested $20.5 million in Uplift Harris, the County’s first guaranteed income program, using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address economic inequity and reduce poverty.

Uplift Harris was designed to provide 1,928 low-income families and households living below 200% of the federal poverty line with direct, unconditional financial support to help meet basic needs such as rent, groceries, transportation, housing, utilities, and healthcare. Similar programs across the country have shown that guaranteed income initiatives can generate broad social and financial benefits for participating families and the wider community.

program design

  • Participants would have received $500 per month for 18 months.
  • Eligibility was limited to community members living below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). 
  • Households were identified through two tracks:
  1. Random selection from the 10 highest poverty ZIP codes in Harris County.
  2. Referral through ACCESS Harris County, which connects individuals to supportive services and care coordination.

Program need

  • Despite the area's vast prosperity, Harris County has among the highest rates of economic inequality in the country, with 16.4% of community members living in poverty.
  • This economic inequality negatively impacts families and undermines our region's overall well-being and economic health.
  • Among other issues, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic inflation have exacerbated these inequalities. 
  • For many Harris County households, a small monthly infusion of unconditional cash can make the difference between stability and deep poverty.
  • A guaranteed income program is an effective tool that can empower communities within Harris County by providing them with the resources they need to support their families. 

Baseline Reports

Elite Research, the program's evaluation partner, conducted two baseline studies that capture community needs and provide a foundation for measuring program impact: 

  • RCT Baseline Report - covers households randomly selected from Harris County's highest-poverty ZIP codes
  • ACCESS Baseline Report - focuses on participants enrolled in the ACCESS Harris County program, which holistically addresses social determinants of health 

These reports highlight the financial realities, lived experiences, and systemic barriers facing low-income households in Harris County. You can view the full reports here: 

RCT Baseline Report

ACCESS Baseline Report

Thank you to the following partners for their support in implementing the program: 

Community Hubs

  • Acres Home Community Advocacy Group
  • Environmental Community Advocates of Galena Park
  • Greater St. Mathew Baptist Church
  • Greenhouse International Church
  • Houston Northeast Community Development Corporation
  • Impacting Houston
  • L&H Transitional Center
  • Madres Del Parque
  • Northeast Action Collective/West Street Recovery
  • Settegast Heights Redevelopment Corporation
  • SN-48 / Trinity
  • Young Community and Culture Group

County and Strategic Partners

  • Harris County Commissioners Court
  • Harris County Universal Services

Implementation and Evaluation Partners

  • GiveDirectly
  • Elite Research