Houston Endowment is launching a project to understand the barriers faced by eligible-to-naturalize residents and co-design and implement interventions with community partners with the goal of increasing the region’s naturalization rates and expanding opportunity
Greater Houston, where one in four residents is foreign born, is home to approximately 360,000 adults eligible to become citizens. According to the most recent Migration Policy Institute Report, supported by Houston Endowment, 80 percent of those eligible have lived in the United States for more than 10 years, and 40 percent have lived in the country for more than 20 years. That’s a significant number of people missing out on the full rights and benefits of citizenship, including higher incomes, higher rates of home ownership, freedom of travel, and the ability to vote.
Little data exists to indicate the specific challenges faced by eligible-to-naturalize Houstonians — something Houston Endowment seeks to address with a new targeted research project that works directly with a diverse cross-section of neighborhoods to understand barriers to naturalization and co-create and pilot solutions to address their needs.
“Research has shown that putting eligible Houstonians — most of whom have lived here, raised families here, and contributed to our region for decades — on the path to citizenship doesn’t just open up opportunities for them, but makes our region stronger and more prosperous for everyone,” said Ann B. Stern, president and CEO of Houston Endowment. “This project that allows us to work directly with community members to uncover the unique barriers faced by eligible-to-naturalize residents in Houston, help organizations tailor their work to fit the needs of our community, and strengthen our collective impact.”
National research has shown barriers include financial constraints, limited English proficiency, lack of access to citizenship services, and confusion about the process. Using data from the University of Southern California Equity Research Institute and the Greater Houston Citizenship Dashboard, Houston Endowment and research partners Dalberg Design and Wellspring Consulting will identify communities in Houston that have large eligible-to-naturalize populations. There, they will work with community partners to implement focused interventions and remove barriers. Ultimately, they hope to uncover, test, and validate opportunities that can be prototyped and scaled across the region.
“We are thrilled that Houston Endowment has committed to a community-centered approach that brings those closest to the problem directly into the design process not as subjects, but as participants and collaborators,” said Robert Fabricant, partner and co-founder of Dalberg Design. “There is a wealth of lived experience across the incredibly diverse communities in Houston that can inspire new approaches and strengthen existing efforts to promote citizenship, a critical building block of a just and equitable society for all Houstonians.”
This collaboration is overseen by an advisory committee of community leaders who bring a wealth of expertise in their respective fields and will provide input and feedback at key decision points. The Citizenship Advisory Committee includes: Wafa Abdin, Jacqueline Aguilera, Salemu Alimasi, Dr. Andrea Caracostis, Luis Garcia-Alvarez, Modesto Hinojosa, Claudia Ortega Hogue, Zenobia Lai, Stan Marek, Alice Min, Ndjabuka Francine Murhebwa, Sandra Rodriguez, Michael Treviño, and Gislaine Williams.
About Dalberg Design
Dalberg Design is a diverse, global design studio committed to creating better community outcomes by involving the people closest to an issue in all stages of the design, development, and implementation of solutions that directly affect their lives. We match the community with a human-centered design team that has the right mix of skills and professional and lived experience to tackle systemic problems together.
About Wellspring
Wellspring Consulting provides strategy consulting services to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, institutions, and affiliations. Working together with our clients, we engage in strategic planning, mission and vision development, organizational redesign, alliances and mergers, and other matters of central importance. Our work helps leadership set future direction and realize their goals.
About Houston Endowment
Houston Endowment is a nonpartisan private foundation established in 1937 by Jesse H. Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones, to improve the quality of life for everyone in Greater Houston. Today, it has more than $2 billion in assets and invests about $100 million a year in three priorities: strengthen public education, increase civic engagement, and enhance the region’s arts and parks. Working with fellow Houstonians, Houston Endowment pursues bold goals, builds partnerships, and invests in innovative solutions rooted in equity and evidence to create a vibrant region where all have the opportunity to thrive.