April is Fair Housing Awareness Month  

April is Fair Housing Awareness Month, and H-GAC reminds everyone that when it comes to housing, the Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) and the Texas Fair Housing Act make it against the law to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or family status. This applies to both selling or renting housing. The H-GAC Board of Directors recognizes April as Fair Housing Awareness Month for the Gulf Coast State Planning Region. 

The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division offers interactive presentations and trainings and a self-help library of trainings and resources to provide housing providers with a practical understanding of the federal and Texas Fair Housing acts and rules and how to comply. 

Information on the Texas Fair Housing Act, including how to file a complaint, is available from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 

H-GAC makes several housing tools available on our website. You can find fair housing resources, a regional housing plan, answers to common housing questions, materials from housing workshops and events, and our facilitating housing toolbox.

WISE Awards Application Deadline is April 4  

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 www.h-gac.com/wise-awards or email Rachel Windham. 

Livable Centers Roundtable, Workshop Series – April 3, June 26, September 18 (In Person)

H-GAC is hosting a three-part 2025 Livable Centers Roundtable and Workshop Series—exploring the critical connections between transportation planning, design, and public health. This series will bring together experts and practitioners to discuss how the built environment, transportation systems, and planning decisions influence community health, and how we can work across disciplines to create healthier, more livable communities. 

This series is a must-attend for urban planners, transportation planners, public health professionals, designers, policymakers, and community leaders interested in shaping a future where the built environment supports well-being for all. Participants can attend one, two, or all three events.  

Events in the series include:

• Roundtable 1 – Planning for Healthy Communities, 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 3. Space is limited. Registration is requested. This event is eligible for 1.5 CM credits from the American Planning Association.
• Roundtable 2 – Designing Healthy Communities, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 26. Space is limited. Registration is requested.
• Annual Land Use/Transportation Workshop—Health-Conscious Communities: Integrating Urban Design, Planning, and Public Health, 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, September 18. Registration is requested.

All events will be held at H-GAC second floor conference rooms. Participant networking is from 9 to 9:30 a.m. for each event. Program activities will begin at 9:30 a.m. each day.

For more information, contact Sarai Osorio at [email protected].

Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable – April 22 (In Person)  

Save the date for the next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable Tuesday, April 22 at the Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce Hall, 303 E. Main Street, Eagle Lake. Networking and check-in begin at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 10 a.m.

Registration is requested, but not required, to attend.

Planned topics include: 

• An update from Eagle Lake 
• Storefront Renaissance - Strategies for filling vacant storefronts 
• Eagle Lake Chamber Perspective - Attracting and retaining businesses 
• Tourism and the Economic connections with wildlife areas, hunting, rice farming, and community history 

The Bringing Back Main Street initiative offers local communities a place to share best practices and engage in a regional dialogue about revitalizing and supporting vibrant downtown spaces. Each quarter, community leaders gather for a roundtable on topics ranging from small business support to sidewalk infrastructure.

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo. 

Basin Steering Committee Meeting – April 29 (Hybrid)  

The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program Basin Steering Committee will meet from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 29, in H-GAC second floor conference room D and on Zoom.

Registration is required to attend online and requested to attend in person.

The meeting will include a review of the Draft Basin Highlights Report, a watershed characterization for Luce Bayou.

To suggest topics for future meetings, contact Jenny Oakley.

Fair Housing Webinar for Local Governments – April 30 (Online)  

H-GAC is hosting a Fair Housing Webinar for Local Governments from 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 30, on Zoom. 

During this webinar, local governments, city and county staff, and community leaders will learn more about the history and importance of the federal and state fair housing acts and take away strategies for ensuring projects, policies, and ordinances in their communities meet or exceed the standards of the law. This includes not only an understanding of the fair housing act and tools for providing education to residents, developers, and homebuilders, but also case studies to review real community policies and specific planning ideas to eliminate barriers to housing. 

Speakers include Jeffrey Riddle, Fair Housing trainer with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division; Shad Bogany, winner of the 2024 National Association of Realtors Fair Housing Champion award, radio host and president of the Fort Bend Housing Corp Board; and Jose Cantu, senior planner at H-GAC. 

Registration is required to attend.  

Help Tell the Story of the Texas Community Development Block Grant Program 

It is always important to share the impact and reach of programs like the Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) program. These stories help program staff to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and long-term goals, and help funders understand the results of putting these funds to work. As important federal funding decisions are being made, let’s tell the story of TxCDBG in small and rural Texas communities! 

If your community recently completed a TxCDBG-funded project that made an impact in your community, please take a few moments to complete the TxCDBG Project Success Summary. 

The Texas Department of Agriculture will collect these stories to share with stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels. 

Texas Department of Agriculture Downtown Revitalization, Main Street Programs Grants Due April 3

The Texas Department of Agriculture Downtown Revitalization and Main Street programs aim to provide infrastructure improvements to address the conditions that contribute to the deterioration in an area designated as slum or blighted in the applicant community's downtown or main street area. All proposed infrastructure improvements to be funded by the Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Program must be located on public property within the designated downtown district. Typically, a downtown district will meet two or more of the following:

•  The city’s historic area of commerce;
•  May be the area around the courthouse or city square;
•  Commercial area for the community;
•  Buildings of historical significance, but not primarily residential;
•  Must be areas included in or contiguous to the economic center of the community; or
•  The retail area for the community that does not include single-family dwellings.

Cities and counties must meet certain eligibility requirements to apply.

Great Texas Birding Classic Habitat Conservation Grants Deadline is May 1 

The mission of the annual Great Texas Birding Classic is to increase appreciation, understanding, and conservation of birds through education, recreation, nature tourism, and conservation fundraising. The Birding Classic is a cost-recovery event, so once minimal event costs are covered by sponsorships and registration fees all remaining funds go to conservation grants in Texas. Conservation grants in the amounts of $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000 can be used to fund nature tourism and avian habitat restoration, enhancement, and acquisition projects anywhere in the state. Proposed activities may include projects on public or private lands, but all projects must provide some level of public access. The deadline for proposals is Thursday, May 1.

Texas Plastic Symposium – April 3

The 7th Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium will be Thursday, April 3, at the Houston Zoo, 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston. This event brings together scientists, researchers, and advocates to explore Texas' latest studies on plastic pollution. The full-day event is free, and registration is required.

UH Energy Symposium on Plastics Circularity – April 17

The University of Houston Energy and the Energy Transition Institute will host the 2025 UH Energy Symposium Series on Plastics Circularity from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the University of Houston - Student Center South Houston Room - second floor (4555 University Drive). Celebrating its 12th year, the UH Energy Symposium Series is a premier event tackling critical issues impacting the energy sector. This year’s focus on plastics circularity will bring together industry leaders, researchers, and visionaries to explore the intersection of plastics, sustainability, and energy. Registration is required to attend. Paid parking will be available at the Welcome Center Parking Garage, 4434 University Drive.

Celebrate Earth Day 2025

For more than 50 years, Americans have celebrated Earth Day on April 22 to recognize the importance of the environment and protecting it for future generations. It has grown to a global movement. This year’s theme is "Our Power, Our Planet," and focuses on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and residents to use renewable energy. More information about Earth Day is available online. Community members are invited to attend the annual Green Mountain Energy Earth Day at Discovery Green event in partnership with the Citizens Environmental Coalition, featuring the Houston Public Works Water Works Festival, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Discovery Green. 

Texas Citizen Planner Course – April 23-May- 28

Texas AgriLife Extension Service is hosting a 6-session training course for local, appointed officials and other planning-related professionals. The Texas Citizen Planner Program covers planning concepts including topics and tends of a positive community vision and quality of life; how to use planning tools to improve development; and legal and technical aspects of planning. The course will be every Wednesday from April 23 to May 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at H-GAC second floor conference rooms. The cost of the course is $80 and includes all six sessions. The May 14 session is eligible for Certified Floodplain Manager Continuing Education Units. To register and see a list of the date-specific topics, visit Onsite Course - Texas Citizen Planner Program. 

DEA Prescription Drug Take Back – April 26

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host its National Prescription Drug Take Back event in communities across the country from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. The national event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the medications and the potential for abuse. Law enforcement resources and a list of year-round collection sites are available on the DEA website. 

Adopt-A-Beach Coastwide Cleanup – April 26

Save the date for the Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 26, at various Texas beaches. This annual event by the Texas General Land Office encourages volunteers to help keep beaches clean. Since the program began in 1986, more than 529,000 volunteers have removed 9,600 tons of trash from Texas beaches. Registration and a list of cleanup locations are available online.

Keep Texas Beautiful Conference – May 5-7

The 2025 Keep Texas Beautiful Annual Conference will be held in Austin May 5-7. Keep Texas Beautiful is a network of Texans working together to make the state the best place to live, work, and play. Local partners and affiliates are equipped with tools they need to help clean up and prevent litter across the state. The annual conference is an opportunity for participants to share, learn, and celebrate local, regional, and state accomplishments and programs and includes networking, educational sessions, and awards presentations. Space is limited, and registration closes on April 30.

STAR, TRIED-IT Summits – May 7-9

The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) 26th Annual Texas Recycling Summit will be in May in Georgetown. STAR is partnering with the Texas Recycling Infrastructure Economic Development Initiative Team (TRIED-IT) to explore cutting-edge industry updates, economic opportunities, and sustainable solutions sharing Texas’ recycling future. The TRIED-IT Summit is May 7 and 8, and the Texas Recycling Summit is May 8 and 9. Register once for both events.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week – April 13-19

During the second week of April each year, public safety telecommunications personnel are recognized for the dedication and hard work. Learn more.

Funding Sources

H-GAC's Community and Environmental Planning Department maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements, conservation projects, active transportation projects, and downtown revitalization projects. H-GAC also provides a Funding Resources Hub with many funding opportunities for individuals, local governments, organizations, and others.

If you know of a funding opportunity, forward it to Andrea Tantillo.

All content, including links to websites on these funding lists, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.

Mapping Applications

Looking for interactive applications or GIS data related to the H-GAC Community and Environmental Planning Department? Visit H-GAC's interactive applications web page.