Transforming Lives: How New Federal Environmental Funding Could Benefit Houston’s Most Vulnerable Communities

HOUSTON, Texas — Changes in federal funding could greatly affect Houston’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

A recent executive order from President Trump removed an important rule. For years, federal agencies were required to consider race and income when they made environmental policies. This change raises concerns for communities already facing environmental injustices.

Cleophus Sharpe remembers when his family first settled in Pleasantville. Established shortly after World War II, it was Houston’s first planned Black community. Unfortunately, it was built near the busy Houston Ship Channel.

As time went on, major highways like I-10 and I-610 were constructed, trapping Pleasantville in a heavily industrial area. Now, plans are in place to deepen and widen the ship channel, prompting fears about toxic exposure from the nearby sediment.

“We’re not against industry,” Sharpe says. “We just don’t want to be the only ones suffering from this growth.”

In recent years, millions of federal dollars have been allocated to improve low-income areas, particularly those with large Black and brown populations, like Pleasantville, Sunnyside, and Kashmere Gardens. However, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee expressed worries that funding might stall under the new order. “That is absolutely a concern we have right now,” he said.

Trump’s executive order criticizes policies that consider race as “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral.” This raises questions about how these changes will impact disadvantaged communities in the future.

Menefee pointed out that while there are no cancer clusters in wealthier areas like River Oaks, they have been documented in neighborhoods like Fifth Ward. He emphasized that these issues are not race-blind, stating, “It’s not a race-blind solution because it’s not a race-blind issue.”

“I invite you to step into the lives of those you say don’t need funding,” Sharpe added. “I’ve lived through a system that discriminated against me. If you haven’t, you can’t say there isn’t a problem.” He shared his experiences of being marginalized in his youth, highlighting the ongoing disparities in treatment for different communities.

The federal government has not yet provided guidance on what these changes will mean moving forward. For now, communities like Pleasantville must wait and see how things unfold.