Houston Housing Authority accused of knowing about pollution at low-income project
HOUSTON - Evidence has emerged that the Houston Housing Authority and its developer knew property for a $130 million low-income project was polluted, but broke ground anyway.
"I've been doing this a long time, this is in my view, is the single, worst public corruption thing that's happened in this town," said longtime Houston investigator Wayne Dolcefino.
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Dolcefino is referring to HHA's controversial low-income 800 Middle Street project. The proposed 800 unit complex is literally surrounded by toxic waste dumps and a former state superfund site and yet, HHA still contends its safe for hundreds of families to live there.
"They knew this place was contaminated from the get-go," said Dolcefino.
And after four years of digging and waiting, Dolcefino has dislodged documents that appear to prove it. A 2019 letter from developer NRP to the Housing Authority President states that, "residual contamination does remain present" and also says property neighboring the project contains, "significant contamination...and is unsuitable for any type of development."
"Really? It's 2024, are we really going to put more poor people in a place that's contaminated?" said Dolcefino.
They are contaminants visually confirmed in multiple FOX 26 reports, including lead, arsenic, and untold tons of incinerator ash, and yet both the HHA and developer NRG continued to deny any health risk to regulators and future residents.
FOX 26 asked Dolcefino if HHA and NRP lied to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
"Sure it was a lie, and I've been investigating government corruption for almost 50 years, and there's a thing called tampering with government records. You make false statements on a government record, you can, and you should, in this case, be charged. They lied to HUD. They lied to the state. They lied to the public. They lied to pretty much everyone," said Dolcefino.
FOX 26 reached out to HHA and NRP for comment.
The developer responded saying, "The NRP Group stands by the information provided to HUD and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and continues to be transparent with all governmental entities and partners. We remain confident that the low-income affordable homes currently under construction are safe for future residents."
In a statement to FOX 26 late Tuesday night, The Houston Housing Authority said, "The safety and well-being of our residents remains our top priority. In partnership with the NRP Group, we have provided additional environmental reports as requested by the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the City of Houston - Housing and Community Development Department to confirm the site's acceptability for residential use.
We remain committed to providing additional documentation as requested and adhering to all necessary safety procedures. Ongoing delays ultimately impact the development's residents who are most in need of safe and affordable housing at this property. We appreciate the partnerships of our regulatory bodies as we work to prove the property is safe.
We remain dedicated to delivering quality, affordable housing and look forward to welcoming residents to their new homes at 800 Middle Street."
Dolcefino says he's filed a criminal complaint with the Texas Rangers and offered up his findings.