The Houston Housing Authority recently rebranded with a new name, a new CEO, and a new financial team after years of complaints about mismanagement and a lack of transparency.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has ordered the city of Houston to come up with a plan for fixing its affordable housing program, which has faced accusations of inefficient leadership and mismanagement for years.
As Pooja Lodhia reports for ABC 13, Housing Alliance HTX (formerly known as the Houston Housing Authority) has been subject to multiple audits that revealed officials could not show how contracts were awarded and how tenants were placed. “The audits also showed concerns over the agency's paperwork. saying it couldn't be sure it was paying the right amount to those who qualified.”
According to Lodhia, “The Department of Housing and Urban Development, the agency confirms, is now asking for detailed plans for improvement.” In addition to changing its name, the agency also recently brought in a new CEO and financial team.
FULL STORY: Federal government orders Houston housing officials to fix city's affordable housing program
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