Part 4/11:
While low-income families faced eviction and prolonged waits for housing aid, Houston Housing Authority leaders indulged in extravagant spending with taxpayer money. Credit card records spanning back to 2023 show high-end restaurant outings, lavish holiday parties costing thousands, and even massages at work—sometimes totaling tens of thousands of dollars.
For example, a single lunch at Joey Uptown with 13 executives cost over $1,150, while a two-hour cocktail reception ran over $7,000. Office workers enjoyed massages costing more than $2,300—equivalent to nearly two months of rent for a struggling single mother. Such spending highlights a stark disconnect: while needy families fight to keep roofs over their heads, public officials indulge in luxury.