granting a reprieve

Harris County forgives hundreds of small business loans for struggling locals

Dr. Randy Mitchmore (center, pictured with his staff) is one of the hundred of recipients of the new gift.

The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on local small businesses; many have struggled without savings, credit, and capital to continue on during the downturn. For some immediate relief, Harris County and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) offered some 444 area small businesses interest-free loans of up to $25,000 earlier this year.

The loans would be forgiven in five years, per the initial Harris County COVID-19 Forgivable Loan Program agreement.

Now, in some feel-good, holiday news, the loans have been converted into grants, thanks to federal CARES Act funding received by the county, according to a statement by Harris County and Houston-Galveston Area Council.

“Many of the owners have already made use of the funds they received. Knowing that they don’t have to pay it back, that it’s all theirs, gives them one less thing to worry about at a time when so many have been impacted,” said Omar Fortune, manager of the Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation (H-GALDC), in a statement. (The organization handled the underwriting process and distribution of loans to small businesses.) “We’re pleased to be able to provide this gift to these small businesses that are so important to our region. That it’s happening during the holiday season makes it even more special.”

Originally launched on April 9, the Harris County COVID-19 Forgivable Loan program distributed $10 million to the 444 small businesses by the summer. On October 6, Harris County approved the loan conversion to grants, according to a press release. Small businesses that had already begun paying back their loans have had their payments reimbursed by the county, according to HGAC.

Local business owners are “ecstatic” upon hearing the news, according to H-GAC. “ This whole experience has been an emotional roller coaster, but I’m extremely positive about the future,” said Museum District-area dentist, Dr. Randy Mitchmore, in a statement. “I’m proud to own a small business, and we have a direct impact on the local community. I’m also grateful for this program and that it was able to help small businesses as intended.”

charity

kick off your career

3 Houston neighbors hustle onto top 100 list of U.S. career hotspots

City of Pearland - Government/Facebook

All eyes are on Pearland.

Houston has already proven to be a major hub for business, and now three of its neighbors – Pearland, League City, and Sugar Land – are rising up among the best small U.S. cities for big career opportunities.

A new nationwide survey from CoworkingCafe ranked the three Houston-area cities among its top-100 career hotspots with populations under 250,000 residents.

According to the study, these standout U.S. suburbs "combine economic acceleration with day-to-day livability, offering residents both upward mobility and stable community fundamentals."

The top three small cities leading the nation for their high salaries and strong job markets are Alpharetta, Georgia (No. 1); South Jordan, Utah (No. 2); and Mountain View, California (No. 3).

Pearland ranked the highest in the Houston region, climbing up into No. 59, and League City and Sugar Land respectively ranked No. 73 and No. 76 nationally.

"Across the U.S., a new wave of cities with a more concentrated urban footprint is quietly turning into career powerhouses, even though we tend to associate that success with the big, bustling cities," the report's author wrote. "Some of the best opportunities are popping up in tight-knit communities where innovation, affordability and a great quality of life all come together."

If Houstonians are seeking affordability over all other factors, these three suburbs are the right places to be. Pearland and League City have both seen high population growth because of their affordability, and they were both lauded as the best places to live in 2025 by U.S. News and World Report. Pearland is an especially desirable place to live for high earners, and these career-focused residents aren't shy about being big spenders.

Sugar Land has also received plenty of praise as the third-best place to live in the U.S. in a separate Liveability.com study. It doesn't hurt that Sugar Land households bring in a median income of $184,570 per year.

"The findings reveal two clear paths to success: fast-growing suburban hubs buzzing with innovation and more established tech-driven economies that already have a global reach," the report said. "Together, they show that even smaller places can give you big advantages professionally, sometimes even more than the big metros."

Here's how other Texas suburbs fared among CoworkingCafe's top 100 best career hotspots in 2026:

No. 11 – Frisco
No. 15 – Flower Mound
No. 17 – Pflugerville
No. 20 – McKinney
No. 22 – Cedar Park
No. 31 – Round Rock
No. 37 – Mansfield
No. 43 – Allen
No. 58 – Richardson
No. 80 – Lewisville
No. 89 – Temple
No. 90 – Georgetown
No. 97 – Amarillo

suburbs innovation houston pearland sugar land league city