APRIL 2025

It's Earth Month and we're spotlighting the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center! Watch below to hear from Christine Mansfield as she shares details about their upcoming Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 19, and the exciting activities planned.

Learn more about events at the Houston-Galveston Area Council at

👉 h-gac.com/calendar

Don’t forget to subscribe to our videos, follow us on social media,

and stay connected for more regional updates!

The 2025 Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards application deadline is noon, Friday, April 4.

This program is overseen by the Natural Resources Advisory Committee, an advisory committee to the H-GAC Board of Directors, and seeks to recognize innovative projects, programs, or individuals in the 13-county region that serve as models for improving and protecting water quality. 

Download an application guide.

For more information, visit h-gac.com/wise-awards or email Rachel Windham.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has allocated $555,687,000 in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to Texas to support recovery from severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding occurring in the Houston-Galveston region from April 26–June 5, 2024, and from Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall near Matagorda, Texas on July 8, 2024.

To ensure these funds address the most pressing needs, the Texas General Land Office is gathering input on damages caused by these disasters. Your expertise is essential in helping identify unmet needs and guiding funding priorities.

Please review the available information and complete the survey by Friday, April 11, 2025, to share your insights.

Learn More: 2024 Disasters | Texas General Land Office

Take the Survey!

We encourage all community members, stakeholders, and leaders to participate. If you have any questions, please reach out. Thank you for contributing to our region’s disaster recovery efforts!

Climate mitigation strategies go beyond environmental protection—they’re key to driving regional economic growth. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable practices, local governments can create jobs, attract new industries, and reduce operational costs.

For example, renewable energy sources, such as like wind and solar, not only reduce emissions but also create high-quality jobs in areas of installation, maintenance, and manufacturing. Energy efficiency initiatives for buildings and transportation lower utility costs for both businesses and residents, freeing up resources that can be reinvested locally. Infrastructure projects, such as urban forests and upgraded public transit, boost property values and draw businesses interested in eco-friendly locations.

As these strategies gain momentum, our region becomes more appealing to investors seeking stable, responsive economies. By incorporating climate mitigation into future planning, local governments enhance economic resilience, making the region more competitive and ready to face future challenges.

Click here to learn about H-GAC's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program.

April is National Fair Housing Month, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council urges all residents, both home buyers and renters, to be aware of their rights under the Fair Housing acts.

The Texas Fair Housing Act and the Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) protect Texans from discriminatory housing practices in the sale, rental, and financing of homes as well as in the purchase of insurance. Protection from discrimination in these acts is based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, or familial status, which includes pregnant women and the presence of children under age 18 in the household.

What does this mean?

Under the Federal and Texas Fair Housing acts, no one may take any of the following actions in the sale and rental of housing or mortgage lending based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status.

Know Your Rights & Take Action

If you believe you have experienced housing discrimination, resources are available:

• Federal Fair Housing Act: Visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at hud.gov/fairhousing
• Texas Fair Housing Act: Learn more from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) at tdhca.state.tx.us/fair-housing
• Filing a Complaint: Find information on filing a complaint under federal or state fair housing laws at tdhca.texas.gov/how-file-fair-housing-complaint



The Houston-Galveston Area Agency on Aging launched its Roadshow event series in 2024, traveling across the region to connect directly with older adults and gather insights on the services that matter most to them.

Based on the success and valuable feedback from these events, the agency will continue hosting them throughout 2025. These gatherings provide seniors, caregivers, and community members with information about aging services we offer and a platform to share their needs and priorities, helping shape programs and resources that support aging residents across the region.

Stay connected with the Area Agency on Aging! Follow H-GAC on social media and keep an eye on our newsletter for updates on upcoming Roadshow events. Don’t miss your chance to share your voice and help shape the services that matter most to older adults in our region. For more information on the Area Agency on Aging, visit: h-gac.com/AAA.

APR 3

The Planning for Healthy Communities Roundtable kicks off H-GAC’s three-part 2025 Livable Centers Roundtable and Workshop Series, exploring the link between transportation, design, and public health. Experts and practitioners will discuss how planning decisions shape community health and how cross-discipline collaboration can create healthier, more livable communities.

This series is ideal for urban planners, transportation planners, public health professionals, designers, policymakers, and community leaders. Participants can attend one, two, or all three events.

Event Schedule:

• Roundtable 1 – Planning for Healthy Communities, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, April 3
• Roundtable 2 – Designing Healthy Communities, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, June 26
• Annual Land Use/Transportation Workshop—Health-Conscious Communities: Integrating Urban Design, Planning, and Public Health, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursday, September 18

All events are at H-GAC’s second-floor conference rooms.

Networking begins at 9 a.m.; program starts at 9:30 a.m.

Space is limited – Registration requested.

For more information, contact Sarai Osorio.

Join us Tuesday, April 22 at the Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce Hall (303 E. Main St., Eagle Lake). Networking begins at 9:30 a.m.; the program starts at 10 a.m.

Planned Topics:

• Eagle Lake community update
• Storefront Renaissance – Filling vacant spaces
• Chamber insights on business attraction & retention
• Tourism’s economic impact: Wildlife, hunting, rice farming & history

The Bringing Back Main Street initiative connects communities to share best practices and revitalize downtown spaces. Registration is requested but not required.

For details, contact Andrea Tantillo.

APR 25-26

Join the H-GAC Clean Rivers Program Basin Steering Committee meeting to review the Draft Basin Highlights Report and a watershed characterization for Luce Bayou.

• Registration required for online attendance
• Registration requested for in-person attendance

To suggest topics for future meetings, contact Jenny Oakley.

APR 30

H-GAC’s webinar will equip local governments, city and county staff, and community leaders with strategies to ensure fair housing compliance.

Speakers:

• Jeffrey Riddle, Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
• Shad Bogany, 2024 NAR Fair Housing Champion & Fort Bend Housing Corp Board President
• Jose Cantu, Senior Planner, H-GAC

Registration required.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you?

Sign up to receive the Regional Focus monthly in your inbox!