Feb. 17, 2022 – CenterPoint Energy has announced a $2.8 million commitment from its charitable foundation to support economically disadvantaged communities that are part of the City of Houston’s Complete Communities initiative. The investments are funding projects to advance equity, vitality and resiliency in the communities and help residents achieve success and overcome barriers to opportunity.

$1 million grant in Acres Home to support workforce development
$600,000 grant in Sunnyside to revitalize and enhance safety at neighborhood park
$1.2 million grant to Complete Communities Home Repair Program to support disaster preparedness for residents

“Philanthropic support from leading companies like CenterPoint Energy provides us with the opportunity to strengthen our communities and invest in the future of our city,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “CenterPoint Energy has a long history in the City of Houston, and I am proud to collaborate with them to help ensure we can make transformative change where it is needed most and create a stronger, more resilient city.”

Dave Lesar, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy, said,

“In collaboration with Mayor Turner and the City of Houston’s Complete Communities, we are excited to be part of these initiatives to strengthen the communities we serve through enhancing the services and amenities available to them and supporting the resilience and disaster preparedness of residents.”

The CenterPoint Energy Foundation grant in Acres Home supports the multi-phase transformation of a school campus in the Aldine Independent School District into the CenterPoint Energy Workforce Development Hub at the Bethune Empowerment Center that will serve as a small business incubator and vocational training center. The Center will provide Acres Home residents access to job training, apprenticeships, skills-building services, small business resources, and co-working spaces in a professional space close to their homes.

The CenterPoint Energy Foundation grant in Sunnyside supports capital improvements to Sunnyside Park, including the renovation of a football field, to upgrade the quality, accessibility and safety of the park. Sunnyside Park is adjacent to a former City of Houston landfill that developers are seeking to convert into the nation’s largest urban solar farm.

Both projects were requested by residents in a year-long community planning process resulting in residents’ aspirations for their neighborhoods being codified in the Complete Communities Action Plans. Construction on both projects is scheduled to begin this year and is expected to be completed by year end.

An additional CenterPoint Energy Foundation grant was awarded to the Complete Communities Home Repair Program. The program is a collaboration led by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Complete Communities and implemented by nonprofit service providers. The nonprofit providers repair homes of low-income residents that have moderate damage and deferred maintenance issues that left unaddressed would disqualify the properties for weatherization services that would increase the resilience and disaster preparedness of the homeowners.

The CenterPoint Energy Foundation grants were awarded to the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which administers Complete Communities philanthropic donations.

These Complete Communities grants are in addition to the $1 million CenterPoint Energy Foundation grant to the Houston-Harris County Winter Storm Relief Fund. The relief fund, which was established by Mayor Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, supported low-income Houstonians without insurance who were impacted by the Winter Storm Uri.

“CenterPoint Energy is focused on making a difference to the people in the communities we have served for more than 150 years,” said Lesar. “We are proud to make investments that will strengthen our commitment and support progress of the Complete Communities initiative.”

About CenterPoint Energy

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that, after the closing of the Arkansas/Oklahoma transaction, serve nearly 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2021, the company owned approximately $37 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is a charitable giving organization focused on strengthening the quality of life in the communities served by the company. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

About Houston Complete Communities
Complete Communities is a signature initiative of City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Its mission is to ensure that all Houstonians have equal access to quality services and amenities that improve their lives. By developing public-private partnerships that tap into the strengths of Houston’s residents, nonprofits, businesses, and philanthropic partners, together, we can build a stronger, more resilient city and make transformational change where it’s needed most. To learn more about the Complete Communities initiative and read the Action Plans created by residents and approved by City Council for the 10 Houston neighborhoods designated as Complete Communities, visit the website www.houstontx.gov/completecommunities.