Judge Lina Hidalgo delivers the State of the County address at Greater Houston Partnership.

Harris County has been through a lot recently, but the county has also made incredible progress over the last four years. At Judge Hidalgo’s State of the County address a few weeks ago, she highlighted the county’s work on issues like disaster resiliency, leading the energy transition, early childhood and more.

Below are some of Harris County’s achievements and programs that Judge Hidalgo highlighted:

Disaster Resiliency

Because of Judge Hidalgo’s advocacy in Washington, D.C., Harris County has received more than $418M in direct aid for those who were affected by recent disasters including the flooding on the San Jacinto River, the derecho and Hurricane Beryl

Leading the Energy Transition

Judge Hidalgo’s office helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars of federal “Solar for All” funding to help communities across Texas, including Harris County, invest in solar power and green jobs. This historic funding will help us expand access to residential and community solar power, especially in lower income areas.

Early Childhood

Judge Hidalgo’s leadership on early childhood has helped create more than 5,000 high-quality early childcare slots across Harris County.

Strengthening our Economy

Harris County is building the workforce of the future by investing more than $34M in apprenticeship and workforce development training programs in high-demand jobs. Apprenticeship programs are a win-win for businesses and workers: They help workers increase their wages and earning potential, while giving businesses more high-quality, well-trained candidates to choose from when hiring.

Improving Public Safety

Violent crime is down in Harris County, following trends nationwide. Harris County is investing in programs that are not just tough on crime, but smart on crime. Harris Count’s Violent Persons Warrant Task Force (VIPER) has helped arrest nearly 4,000 dangerous criminals.

Mental Health

Since Judge Hidalgo returned from mental health treatment last year, she’s worked to make mental health a priority in Harris County. Our Communities in Schools program has been able to put a staff member specifically dedicated to students’ mental health on 163 partner campuses in six school districts, and deliver direct services and to connect students and families with needed community resources.