Million-Dollar Wasteland
An ongoing investigation into HUD’s affordable housing construction program.
Gray to call for inquiry into ill-fated $5.5 million housing deal
(Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post)
The mayor wants an investigation into a failed plan to build housing for at-risk young men in the District.
In D.C. loan program, defaults abound
(Tracy A. Woodward / THE WASHINGTON POST)
D.C.’s decades-old loan program to assist first-time home buyers has helped thousands of families. But some buyers have taken on so much debt, they are struggling to pay bills or facing foreclosure. Nearly one in five buyers participating in the city’s program is behind on mortgage payments.
Flaws found in HUD data
(Tracy A. Woodward / THE WASHINGTON POST)
Inconsistencies appear in agency’s data in defense of $32 billion HOME program.
More unfinished HOME projects discovered
(Courtesy City of Turlock / COURTESY CITY OF TURLOCK)
The Post has identified about 75 delayed or abandoned constructions projects nationwide — including about 30 empty lots — that received funding from HUD’s HOME program.
A million-dollar wasteland revealed
(Tracy A. Woodward / The Post)
The Post examined every major project currently funded under the Housing and Urban Development program, analyzing a database of 5,100 projects worth $3.2 billion, studying more than 600 satellite images and collecting information from 165 housing agencies nationwide.
Documentary Video
A renter’s story
Andre Wallace is among the thousands of people searching for affordable housing in the District .
Photo Gallery
A deal gone bad
The District invested millions of affordable-housing dollars into a plan to renovate three rotting buildings in Southeast Washington, but the project died before a shovel ever hit dirt.
Photo Gallery
Undeveloped dreams
Affordable housing construction projects around the country have stalled or never been built, and hundreds of millions of government dollars set aside for construction are lost or sit idle.
Street View Photos
Empty lots, delayed projects
Visit a handful of stalled or abandoned housing projects here using Google Street View images.
Interactive Map
Delayed dollars, defunct deals
Explore how HUD spent, misspent or never spent $3.2 billion on housing construction across America.
Conversations
Tell us what you know
Do you live in public housing? Work with HUD? Inspect HUD buildings? Help our reporters tell the next story.
Live Q&A 1 p.m. Monday
Post reporter Debbie Cenziper will discuss her reporting online with readers on Monday at 1 p.m. Submit your question now.
Weigh In
Who is most at fault for the ongoing problems with affordable housing programs? Cast your vote in our poll.
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