Melissa Enaje

1 week ago | communityimpact.com | Melissa Enaje

Extreme weather and climate change are seeing ripple effects on neighborhood livability across Harris County, according to a June 17 report by Rice University’s Kinder Institute of Urban Research, where housing experts recommend data-driven infrastructure planning and accurate flood risk mapping to across the county.

1 week ago | communityimpact.com | Melissa Enaje

Harris County is one step closer to receiving five additional district courts from the 89th Texas Legislature, a move that would address what judicial officials are calling a significant uptick in civil case filings. Latosha Lewis Payne, Harris County District Courts administrative judge, said in a June news release that the new courts are a game changer for the judiciary and the community. “For years, our judges have carried overwhelming caseloads, working to ensure justice is served.

1 week ago | communityimpact.com | Melissa Enaje

Harris County contract workers will have to wait until at least October for the higher minimum wage policy to take effect instead of this summer after Harris County commissioners unanimously approved pushing the implementation dates back on June 12 to ensure what they’re calling a “smooth and successful” transition. The county’s employee minimum wage policy of at least $20 per hour and $21.64 per hour for contractors was originally passed March 27 and was expected to begin in the summer.

2 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Melissa Enaje

Harris County commissioners unanimously approved the appointment of Harris County’s next chief public defender, Judge Genesis Draper, a veteran public defender and criminal court judge, at the June 12 court meeting. Draper will begin this role on July 7, replacing former Chief Alex Bunin, who will retire in December after serving 15 years in his position as the county’s first chief public defender, according to a June news release.

2 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Melissa Enaje

Harris County Public Health officials are preparing to open a new community center in Cypress Station that will serve as a neighborhood hub for residents to help reduce violence and crime in the area. “That is our goal. Get them connected to the resources that they need. We want them to achieve self-sufficiency and really adopt a pro-social lifestyle,” said Lupe Washington, HCPH's director of the community health and violence prevention services division.