PRESS RELEASE
Houston will withdraw Model Cities Initiative grant application
The City of Houston will withdraw its application for the Model Cities Initiative grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2026
Please attribute the following statement to Mayor John Whitmire.
“In the effort to ensure the application was submitted on time, staff prematurely submitted it before the required council approval was secured. Due to that error and current lack of clarification on the program’s guidelines, the City of Houston is withdrawing its application and will not pursue the Model Cities Initiative grant.”
Contact
Alvaro Ortiz
Director of Communications
Houston Mayor’s Office
Office: 832.393.0623
Mobile: 832.584.9279
alvaro.ortiz@houstontx.gov