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City of Houston seeking comment on its newly issued MWDBE disparity study

The City of Houston has recently issued a draft of its 2023 disparity study as well as a draft of the executive summary of the study. The study was commissioned to examine whether or not minority, and women‐owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises (MWDBEs) faced disparities in their utilization, relative to their availability, in City contracting, and, if so, what remedies might be implemented. The study covered City contracts from fiscal year 2018 through fiscal year 2022. The City is currently seeking comments and questions on the report's findings and recommendations, and will accepting feedback until December 31, 2024.

The findings of the study included findings of disparities in almost all categories. Overall, MWDBEs had an availability in the City's market area of 51.3 percent, but had a utilization rate during the study period of 21.62 percent. The study also makes mentions of findings of disparities in private sector data for MWDBEs, as well as qualitative and anecdotal information gathered from direct engagement with MWDBEs indicating discrimination and disproportionate obstacles.

Remedies proposed by the study that the City could consider implementing include enhanced data collection, better advertising of informal procurement opportunities, establish specific contract compliance procedures for "indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity" (IDIQ) contracts, forbidding primes to require exclusivity agreements from MWBE subcontractors, expanding the City's Small Business Program, and more.

Find the page for the disparity study, including the link for leaving feedback on the study as well as the documents themselves, at https://houstontxdisparitystudy.com/.