Houston City Council members are pushing to strengthen the city’s minority contracting program at the same time conservative advocates, emboldened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, fight to end it altogether.
Supporters say the program is needed to give a fair shot to Black, Latino, women and other disadvantaged business owners long shut out of government contracting. Opponents, including a white couple who sued the city in September, claim it illegally doles out public money on the basis of race.
New Mayor John Whitmire said he wants to overhaul the program, but the city is waiting on the outcome of a long-delayed study before it acts. The result of the debate playing out in court and council chambers could have a lasting impact on Houston’s minority- and woman-owned business enterprise program, which last year was tied to $614 million in city contracts.
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Denise Hamilton, a workforce development consultant who is certified to participate in the city’s program, said she can see the need for improvements to make sure it is accomplishing its goals. She hopes the end result of this moment will not be for the program to be dismantled altogether, however.