Dallas City Hall Defends Affordable Housing Program After The News Exposes Flaws; Council Members Still Outraged

A Dallas city official defended an affordable housing program late Thursday, a week after a Dallas Morning News investigation revealed troubling flaws. But several council members said they found his response woefully inadequate. The News found that the city allowed a felon to create a real estate empire using the city's Land Bank Program, which sells foreclosed lots on the cheap. Jose Santos Coria pleaded guilty in 2012 to purchasing stolen construction supplies -- a felony. He was arrested on a money laundering charge and indicted for organized crime but was never convicted of those crimes, according to police and court records.Deed records show Coria was selling some land bank homes, which are intended for low-income families, to relatives who already owned property. "Many of you have read recent articles in the newspaper that have raised concerns regarding the Land Bank Program," wrote Alan Sims, chief of Neighborhood Plus, who sent the memo to the council after several members demanded a response to the story.   Continue reading...