Parolee Sponsorship Fund for Safe Housing and Reentry Support

In Texas, individuals approved for parole cannot be released until the Texas Department of Criminal Justice verifies a stable, approved housing plan. Many men remain incarcerated for weeks or months—long after earning parole—simply because they have nowhere safe to go. This injustice falls hardest on Black men and other people of color living well below the poverty line. Instead of returning to families and work, they wait—stalled by poverty, not choice.

Harmony House’s 128-bed Worker Dorm, the only program of its kind in Houston, is an approved Alternate Housing Resource that offers a proven path forward. It provides safe, supportive housing for men who are working or actively seeking employment, integrating on-site healthcare, counseling, workforce assistance, and accountability coaching to help them rebuild their lives.

Funds from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation will seed a Parolee Sponsorship Fund providing $1,500 per sponsorship—covering two months of housing, meals, groceries, and basic necessities for men who would otherwise remain behind bars solely for lack of housing. This two-month window gives participants time to find work, save toward their third month, and begin building financial independence. Harmony House staff will manage the fund, provide case management, and track measurable outcomes such as number of parolees released, housing stability after 90 days, employment status, and successful family reunifications.

The individuals served through this initiative are among Houston’s most vulnerable—men reentering society after incarceration, typically earning less than 30 percent of Area Median Income and facing overlapping barriers related to health, trauma, and employment. By removing the financial barrier that delays release, the Foundation will help restore freedom, stability, and dignity while reducing recidivism and strengthening families. This investment also advances Harmony House’s broader mission to move people from homelessness to independence—proving that second chances are possible when housing and opportunity come first.