A former Midtown Redevelopment Authority executive and two former vendors are facing felony charges, accused of misusing potentially millions in public funds meant to build affordable housing in Third Ward.
A Houston Chronicle investigation has since detailed other questionable uses of Midtown’s housing funds.
Midtown’s largest housing expense, for instance, is a five-story office tower where no one lives. Intended to serve as an “affordable housing operations center,” the $22 million building was paid for with housing funds. To pay down debt it incurred on the project, Midtown sold 14% of the land it had bought for housing to investors…