HOUSTON – A Houston-area family says they were promised time to gather their late father’s belongings after his death but instead, they were locked out of his apartment and confronted by police.
George Horan Jr. had been spending his days grieving and sorting through the personal effects of his dad, George Horan Sr., who passed away in July at age 78. Horan Sr. had lived at Columbia Seniors at 2100 Memorial, a senior housing community that accepts federal housing vouchers through the Houston Housing Authority (HHA).
But what began as a solemn task to honor his father’s memory took an unexpected turn.
“It was very stressful and just unnecessary,” Horan Jr. said. “I don’t understand why all that had to even happen.”
The family provided KPRC 2 with emails showing that property managers, based in Atlanta, gave them until Friday, August 8 to clear out George Horan Sr.’s apartment. Horan Jr. said while it wasn’t as much time as they originally requested, they agreed to the deadline in good faith.
“A little quicker than we had wanted initially, but it was a fair compromise,” he said. “I didn’t want to cause any problems.”
But on Monday, August 4, three days before the agreed-upon deadline, Horan Jr. says maintenance staff arrived and told him they were changing the locks.
“They said, ‘you’re not supposed to be here. We’re changing the locks. You need to leave,’” Horan Jr. told KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun. “And I was just there to work on all my dad’s stuff.”
Shortly after, Houston police arrived, responding to a trespassing call.
HPD told KPRC 2 the report was made because Horan Jr. was not listed on the lease. A department spokesperson said they were called by property leaders.
“They just didn’t communicate anything to me besides accusing me of being a squatter and having the police lock me out,” he said.
According to emails shared with Balogun, a regional manager with Columbia Residential told the Horan family members they had until Friday.
“I want you to know I am willing to work and allow extra time to remove the items from your father’s unit,” the email shared with KPRC 2 reads. “I will extend the date to August 8th end of business to have the items removed.”
A Houston Housing Authority spokesperson said since the voucher holder, Horan Sr., had passed they, by law, couldn’t continue making payments. The spokesperson added any arrangements the family made with the complex is between those involved not Houston Housing Authority.
“While HHA cannot authorize additional payments beyond the time of death, there is nothing in the rules that prevents the property owner from making independent arrangements with the family regarding access to the unit,” a HHA spokesperson said.
Despite efforts to communicate with property management, the Horan family says they remain locked out of the apartment, unsure of the fate of their father’s belongings.
A spokesperson for the Columbia Seniors at 2100 Memorial told KPRC 2 they extend their condolences to the Horan family and ‘grants’ the family permission to collect their dad’s belongings.
“Our team remains available to grant the family access to retrieve Mr. Horan’s belongings through August 8,” the spokesperson said. “We are committed to treating all families with compassion while upholding housing program requirements.”
Houston Housing Authority statement:
“We extend our condolences to the family during this difficult time. Per federal guidelines, when the decedent is a sole household member, a housing voucher terminates upon the death of the voucher holder, and the Houston Housing Authority is prohibited from continuing payments beyond that point. The lease agreement, however, is a private contract between the tenant and the property owner. While HHA cannot authorize additional payments beyond the time of death, there is nothing in the rules that prevents the property owner from making independent arrangements with the family regarding access to the unit.
Currently, 19,500 people are receiving rent subsidies. This number changes daily based on new admissions and people exiting the program.
There are currently 18,276 people on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist. That number reflects everyone who was on the list prior to the Save My Spot campaign, which asked applicants to update their contact information between May 1 and June 30, 2025. The total will change once HHA completes its review of that campaign. Applicants can check their status by calling HHA’s customer service hotline at 713-260-0500 or visiting the main office at 2640 Fountain View Dr., Houston, TX 77057, during regular business hours."
Columbia Residential released the following statement:
“We extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Horan, a resident of 2100 Memorial who recently passed away.
Following Mr. Horan’s passing, we secured the apartment in accordance with federal regulations.
Our team remains available to grant the family access to retrieve Mr. Horan’s belongings through August 8. We are committed to treating all families with compassion while upholding housing program requirements."
