Convenience Big Store: Audit: HHA's vouchers, public housing and waitlist plagued by poor paperwork

October 17, 2024

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• Early voting period: Oct. 21 to Nov. 1
• Election Day: Nov. 5

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Good morning, Houston.

Hey, y'all. Yesterday was a somber day for One Direction fans near and far, including myself. Former band member Liam Payne died at just 31 years old after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina. I've listened to their music religiously for over a decade, but listening to it yesterday brought on a wave of emotion and new meaning. May he rest in peace.

If you're a local fan wanting to take a trip down memory lane, take a look back at Payne's time in Houston here.

☀️ Temperature check: High of 75; low of 60. Justin's insight: Drastic temperature swings in the Houston metro area this week from hot to chilly may result in your low tire pressure light coming on. Here's why. Sign up for our Weather Radar newsletter for more weather news.

Yasmeen Khalifa, Audience Engagement Producer

yasmeen.khalifa@houstonchronicle.com

The downtown Houston skyline is visible looking north from Interstate 45 Gulf Freeway south Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in Houston.

Photo by: Kirk Sides (Staff photographer)

An audit found that discrepancies and poor paperwork exacerbate problems at the Houston Housing Authority...

The big picture: A new audit of the Houston Housing Authority revealed numerous problems with the agency's bookkeeping and its administration of the nation's largest affordable housing program, which uses vouchers to cover rent beyond what a family can afford.

The problems: A third-party auditor found "material weakness" and "material noncompliance" in 2023 for every major program that it reviewed. Taken together with previous audits, the findings show that problems that began plaguing the agency in 2020 during the pandemic continue unabated, impacting the programs that serve Houston's most vulnerable.

In addition, the recent audit identified a new and troubling issue: the housing authority's waitlist for housing assistance.

The history: The findings come after the housing authority investigated multiple employees for committing fraud in exchange for bribes in 2016, and the Chronicle found that the housing authority's paperwork lapses and poor communication had led to formerly homeless voucher holders getting evicted.

Read R.A. Schuetz's full story here.

📰 Need to Know

TARGETING A SPIKE IN PEDESTRIAN DEATHS: As pedestrian deaths across Houston and Texas continue to climb, state transportation officials are launching a new campaign to encourage drivers to take extra precautions, especially as the country prepares to lose out on several hours of daylight.
CLEMENCY DENIED: Less than 48 hours before Robert Roberson's scheduled execution, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency for the 57-year-old convicted of murdering his daughter, Nikki Curtis.
TEXAS IS BEHIND THE GAME: President Joe Biden's push to hand out billions in rebates to homeowners for energy efficiency upgrades that experts say will reduce the strain on power grids in heat waves and winter storms is slow going in Texas.
HISD ROUNDUP: HISD's $4.4 billion school bond would invest nearly $445 million into campuses that are projected to see enrollment decline by at least 25% by the 2028-29 year, according to a Chronicle analysis. Here's why. Plus, find out why emotions have been running high during HISD's frequent "spot checks" here.
AIRPORT TRAFFIC RELIEF? YES PLEASE! The North Terminal Road entry is being widened from three lanes to four lanes ahead of Thanksgiving as Houston Airports looks to relieve traffic congestion at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

🍣 Food News

THE GREAT FOIE GRAS DEBATE: Hai Hospitality, which operates the popular Uchi restaurants, recently removed the controversial ingredient off its menus after years of protests from animal rights activists.
HOT DOG, HOT DOG, HOT DIGGITY DOG: After nearly a year of anticipation building up to its local debut, Portillo's announced its arrival in the Houston area with a grand opening slated for Oct. 22 in Richmond.
MICHELIN-RECOMMENDED RAMEN: "Ramen Creator" Tomoharu Shono has expanded his international chain of ramen shops to Texas with a 32-seat restaurant off Bellaire.
WHAT'S THAT PANCAKE SMELL? Don't flip, but the rumors are true: Metro's Downtown Transit Center might smell like pancakes now and then. Here's why.

🧠 Point of View

Hardly anyone knows exactly what constables do — and yet many people are fond of the ones who patrol their neighborhoods.

Photo by: Yasmeen Khalifa

What's a constable? And who should I vote for? Harris County voters will have the chance to choose between Sherman Eagleton or Erick Patino, Mark Herman or Samantha Hutchison, and Terry Allbritton or Jerome Moore in November. Here's who the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board is endorsing.

📅 Events at the Chronicle

Promotional image for virtual event on how to talk to loved ones who disagree politically

Photo by: Getty / Susan Barber

EVENT: How to talk to loved ones who disagree politically

Chronicle readers are invited to a private Zoom event with two noted local family counselors on how to navigate this charged election season with loved ones who disagree politically.

☝️ One Last Word

Before I leave you all to conquer the day, I must share this sweet story. An elderly couple's final bucket list item was to visit all 50 U.S. state capitals. But when several health scares came into play, they had to halt at their 49th capital. The sweet part: A Houston-area Chick-Fil-A surprised the couple by helping them visit the last state on their list, Alaska.

I'm not huge on Chick-Fil-A, but I love a cute story.

— Yasmeen Khalifa