Overview
- The Houston Housing Authority published a plan to occupy The Pointe at Bayou Bend and scheduled a news conference and site tour with Mayor John Whitmire.
- FOX 26 reports the complex has been deemed safe for habitation, with HHA saying TCEQ concluded in December that the building and soil directly beneath it pose no safety risk.
- City Council members voiced skepticism and called for the release of federal test results before move-ins proceed.
- The 800 Middle Street project, intended for nearly 400 affordable units and costing about $140 million to $146 million, was paused in 2024 after contamination concerns surfaced.
- Prior coverage documented elevated toxins in nearby ash and records indicating HHA and its developer were aware of residual contamination in 2019, and federal agents from the FBI, EPA, and HUD collected samples in late 2024.