The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) finds itself ensnared in a digital chokehold, a ransomware attack has breached its network. The cyber intrusion occurred over a month ago, on September 22. Yet, amid inquiries, the full scope of compromised accounts remains undisclosed by HHA, as KPRC 2 Investigates reported.
The severity of the situation is underscored by the organization's brief statement: "The HHA is aware of the situation and is working diligently to resolve this very serious matter as swiftly as possible." But comprised digits and data are not the only specters haunting the organization currently. This cyber assault comes amid a maelstrom of a controversy surrounding HHA's leadership and its alleged fiscal improprieties, as detailed by KPRC 2.
Simultaneously, HHA's chief executive, David Northern, hangs in suspension—paid leave his temporary berth—as federal investigators rifle through actions and decisions of recent past. Stoking the flames of inquiry, ABC 13's Chaz Miller reports that Northern has been the eye of controversy before, subjected to scrutiny during a board meeting earlier in October, with no substantive action taken until the latest development, according to ABC13 Houston.
Spiraling further into the fray, the evidence of mismanaged funds continues to rear, as revealed in prior investigations into HHA's extravagant overshooting of a $2.3 million budget, culminating in a $5.4 million expenditure for installation of air conditioning units. The contract fell to a Chicago-based fashion company, Baragger Company, raising yet more eyebrows as to the propriety of HHA's decision-making processes.
As for the embattled CEO, Northern has maintained his innocence in the unfolding drama, reportedly stating that the investigative actions against him are "warrantless." While an interim president has yet to be appointed, an external consultant has been engaged to meticulously sift through Northern's performance during his tenure with HHA since 2022. Meanwhile, the community awaits both the containment of the cyber-incident and the resolution of the administrative disarray that has, to date, only offered more questions than answers.
