- That’s a key quote in the Houston Chronicle from Leroy Allen, who participated in a pilot program in Harris County, Texas, which provided $15 per hour to unhoused people to perform public cleaning projects “including covering graffiti, pressure washing county facilities and painting.” County Commissioner (and former Sheriff) Adrian Garcia explained that the “program is designed with a low barrier to entry in mind—there are no background checks or drug tests, and participants are not penalized for missing days … Once in the program, participants are provided with breakfast, lunch and resources, such as healthcare services, medication, help with housing applications and connections to job opportunities.” Deeming the pilot a success, the county recently allocated $2 million earlier this month (which is roughly 13x the budget of the pilot program) to expand the program.
