Houston mayor reacts to suspended Middle Street low-income housing project
Mayor reacts: Housing authority president resigns
Less than 48 hours after the forced resignation of the Houston Housing Authority's president, Mayor John Whitmire delivered some very "hard truth" at City Hall. FOX 26's Greg Groogan spent the past two years exposing a taxpayer funded toxic housing project on the Eastside and has the latest.
HOUSTON - Houston Mayor John Whitmire is labeling a controversial low-income housing project constructed next to contaminated land "a tragedy."
"I'm strongly of the opinion it should have never been built, would not have been built except for conflicts of interest," said Whitmire.
The statement came in response to FOX 26's request for reaction to Monday's forced resignation of the Houston Housing Authority's now former President and CEO David Northern.
Whitmire praised the HHA board he appointed earlier this year for "following the facts" and holding Northern "accountable."
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"We have $130 million investment of taxpayer monies, badly needed housing, that can't be used because of contaminated soil, not only around it, but it appears underneath that facility," said Whitmire.
The uninhabited complex at 800 Middle Street was raided by Federal investigators on Oct. 22. Agents excavated dozens of soil samples from adjacent properties formerly used as dumping grounds for the City's long shuttered Valasco trash incinerator plant.
On Wednesday, Whitmire revealed additional details regarding Northern's employment contract which was extended by the previous HHA Board in the waning days of former Mayor Sylvester Turner's administration.
"I thought Mr. Northern should have been removed sooner, but the previous administration's board, right before I was sworn in, signed him to an extended 8-year contract, pretty much insuring he was going to be protected if he'd keep making the decisions he was making for these special interests," said Whitmire.
The six month's severance payment granted Northern is a fraction of what the former HHA President might have received.
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Documents have recently emerged confirming HHA and developer NRP were fully aware of the contamination risk and proceeded with the project.
"It is a tragedy. The tragedy is waste of dollars, loss of affordable housing and even now the challenge. What do you do with the facility?" said Whitmire.
Whitmire has refused to grant the project a "certificate of occupancy" until independent testing confirms the complex can be inhabited without threatening the health of potential residents.