The Harris County Chief Appraiser is conducting an audit of dozens of apartment complexes that have been given huge tax breaks to provide affordable housing.

The audit was launched after Dolcefino Consulting discovered virtually all the apartment developers had failed to provide required annual proof they are doing what they promised to do.

“When you brought it to our attention, we took a look at it and said wait a minute, we have this language in here but less than a handful of documents provided,” said HCAD spokesman Jack Barnett. “If we need to, we will cancel the exemption.”

Since early 2019, the appointed Houston Housing Authority board has wiped more than $1.2 billion in apartment properties off the tax rolls. It’s an exemption that will last at least seven decades.

In return, the apartments promised to rent at least half their units to families who don’t make enough to pay the standard rents. The exemption will take about $35 million just this year alone in funding from schools, police, flood control and the Port of Houston.

“The HHA is giving away these tax deals like candy, benefiting a few developers, the former Chairman of the HHA Lance Gilliam, and Licia Green Ellis, the wife of County Commissioner Rodney Ellis,” said Wayne Dolcefino, President of the Houston-based investigative media firm Dolcefino Consulting.

The apartment projects have until Thursday, July 21st to certify their affordable housing rentals.