{"id":303141,"date":"2026-05-21T16:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/303141\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:21:08","slug":"he-wasted-millions-in-houston-now-hes-running-flints-housing-authority-and-making-more-money-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/303141\/","title":{"rendered":"He wasted millions in Houston. Now he\u2019s running Flint\u2019s housing authority \u2014 and making more money than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reaction poured in after KPRC 2\u2019s latest investigation<\/a> into former Houston Housing Authority CEO David Northern \u2014 with viewers demanding accountability and urging KPRC to keep up the pressure.<\/p>\n

2 Investigates reporter Amy Davis obtained his latest employment contract as she presses for accountability from federal law enforcement.<\/p>\n

Northern left Houston at the end of 2024 amid questions <\/a>about millions of dollars tied to failed projects, questionable spending and mismanagement. Just two months later, he signed a lucrative contract to lead the Flint Housing Commission in Michigan.<\/p>\n

Houston settlement, silence<\/p>\n

Northern walked away from the Houston Housing Authority with a $210,000 settlement payment. In exchange for his resignation, the Housing Authority board agreed not to publicly release the results of its investigation into failed projects, mismanagement and frivolous spending that cost the agency more than $4 million.<\/p>\n

A new contract, new perks<\/p>\n

Northern\u2019s Flint contract, dated January 2025, is a three-year agreement that starts him at $200,000 a year \u2014 and that\u2019s just the base salary.<\/p>\n

He is also eligible for a 25% annual bonus, a $700 monthly car allowance, full health, dental and life insurance coverage paid entirely by the commission, and use of a Flint Housing Commission vehicle.<\/p>\n

In January of this year, the new board president extended Northern\u2019s contract through 2030.<\/p>\n

The contract includes a notable clause: \u201cTermination will not be considered for matters that originated at previous agencies prior to employment with FHC.\u201d<\/p>\n

A familiar name follows Northern north<\/p>\n

In September, Northern hired Nashon Edwards as Flint\u2019s director of compliance and engagement.<\/p>\n

The name may ring a bell for Houston viewers. Edwards previously held a position at the Houston Housing Authority \u2014 until a KPRC 2 investigation revealed he had charged more than $9,000 on his agency credit card dining at upscale Houston restaurants. His position was subsequently eliminated.<\/p>\n

In Flint, Edwards was hired at $90,000 a year, with $5,000 for relocation expenses and an additional $5,000 for temporary housing.<\/p>\n

Northern responds \u2014 but questions remain<\/p>\n

KPRC 2 requested an interview with Northern. Instead, he provided a written statement, which reads in part:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy tenure in Houston has concluded, and I have fully transitioned into my current leadership role. Matters related to my previous position were addressed through the appropriate processes at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that raises another question: Were they?<\/p>\n

The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has declined to say whether it is still investigating Northern. <\/p>\n

The FBI has not confirmed or denied an investigation either.<\/p>\n

RELATED: How Houston Housing Authority deals drain millions from local budgets<\/a><\/p>\n

KPRC 2 will continue to follow this story as federal investigators review the Houston Housing Authority\u2019s records. Until those answers come, the team will keep pressing \u2014 because for the thousands of Houstonians still waiting on housing assistance, accountability isn\u2019t optional. If you have a tip or question, email Investigator Amy Davis at ADavis@kprc.com<\/a> . <\/p>\n

FULL Statement from David Northern<\/p>\n

March 31, 2026<\/p>\n

Statement from David A. Northern, Sr.<\/p>\n

I currently serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Flint Housing Commission, where my focus is on advancing housing stability, strengthening operations, and delivering quality services to the residents of Flint. I am proud of the dedicated team at the Flint Housing Commission, whose daily commitment makes this work possible and continues to move the organization forward.<\/p>\n

My tenure in Houston has concluded, and I have fully transitioned into my current leadership role. Matters related to my previous position were addressed through the appropriate processes at that time.<\/p>\n

In the interest of transparency, the Flint Housing Commission has responded to your request in accordance with applicable FOIA laws. I trust that the materials provided satisfy your inquiry.<\/p>\n

At this time, I remain focused on my responsibilities in Flint and will not have further comment on matters outside of my current role. <\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reaction poured in after KPRC 2\u2019s latest investigation into former Houston Housing Authority CEO David Northern \u2014 with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303142,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[5775,109940,56,58,5965,57,5778],"class_list":["post-303141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-hha","tag-housing-assistance-accountability","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-housing-authority","tag-houston-news","tag-investigates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}