CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Mary Warner, a 71-year-old disabled grandmother, has lived in public housing for most of her adult life. Today, she rarely leaves her home.
“Mija, are you coming?” she says, speaking into her phone.
Her granddaughter Aliza Ramirez, 23, is one of her main caretakers -- helping her navigate the long hallways of Ruthmary Price Place Apartments, pushing past an elevator that hasn’t worked in years.
For nearly two years, she's been making this journey because the main elevator in her building hasn't worked since she moved in.
"I was just praying that I would make it all the way up here, because I was already out of air," Warner said. "I was having my asthma attack and I was already on my air and I said, oh my God. I said, I hope I make it up there."
While Mary struggles to navigate through her building — Gary Allsup, CEO of the Corpus Christi Housing Authority — faces scrutiny over executive compensation and controversial workforce housing deals.
The Missouri native — a public servant tasked with providing affordable housing — makes nearly $800,000 a year in annual salary and bonuses.
The Corpus Christi Housing Authority's stated mission is to provide safe, decent housing for low-income families. The authority has operated since 1938 and oversees thousands of units for low-income families, elderly residents, and people with disabilities.
Warner, who became disabled after a near-fatal car accident in Georgia in 1985, pays about $200 monthly rent from her disability check. She lives alone in the HUD-subsidized building managed by Bluebonnet Properties, a nonprofit under the Housing Authority umbrella. When she first viewed the apartment in October 2023, building management assured her the elevator would be fixed in two weeks.
"Up to this day, she's been just telling me different stories," Warner said of the building manager. "Even the people around here, they get in the second elevator. They said they stopped counting already."
Resident Complaints
Warner's experience is reported alongside similar issues from other Housing Authority residents, including:
- Roach and rat infestations
- Mold
- Broken air conditioning systems
- Lengthy waits for basic repairs
- Non-functioning elevators in buildings housing elderly and disabled residents
- Theft and violence
"It starts off with, you know, the roach infestation," one resident told KRIS-TV. Another described hearing rats "in the walls" and "in the ceiling."
Warner has taken elevator concerns into her own hands. She has been mobilizing neighbors from her hospice bed — she began receiving hospice care in 2024 for her chronic illnesses — she started a petition advocating for the medical necessity of a working main elevator.
"I only got 18 people. And the rest of them didn't want to sign, cause they're scared to get kicked out," Warner said with a sigh. "Oh my God."
Warner said many neighbors who have lived in the building for 10 to 15 years refused to sign her petition because they worried about losing their homes.
"A lot of them didn't want to sign because they're scared to get kicked out," Warner said. "They asked me, did you ask our landlord, Miss Martha, and I said, why am I going to ask her? She really knows the problem we got here."
Housing Authority Commissioner Judith Gonzalez-Rodriguez, a West Oso ISD counselor appointed to the board in 2025 by Mayor Paulette Guajardo, is beginning to address these concerns.
"There should be a process by which they can report these issues," Gonzalez-Rodriguez said. "You can come to me, you can come to me without any fear of retaliation and give me your concerns."
Executive Compensation
According to an investigation by KRIS 6 News, Allsup was among the top ten highest-paid housing authority CEOs nationwide in 2022. He currently makes almost double what the Houston Housing Authority CEO earns, though Houston's housing authority is the largest in Texas.
"I found out about Gary's salary on a Friday afternoon," Gonzalez-Rodriguez said. "All of a sudden my phone started going off and I started getting lots of different text messages. And so, I read it and I was very, very shocked that a person who serves in this capacity when you consider health insurance and the car allowance, you're looking at likely $1 million package."
At city council meetings, residents have spoken about Allsup's salary.
"No one in this community is worth $750,000 a year. Especially a public servant," resident Rachel Caballero said at a council meeting.
The housing authority operates independently from the city, and the City Council does not set or approve Allsup's salary.
In a statement last month, Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo called for immediate reforms and recommended "the Authority's Board of Commissioners to institute immediate reforms around the financial oversight and public accountability" at the Housing Authority.
Workforce Housing Initiative
Allsup has overseen over $350 million in property acquisitions through the Workforce Housing Initiative. The program allows the Housing Authority to purchase apartment complex land at no cost, then lease the land back to the original owners, paving the way for private companies to claim 100% property tax exemptions.
"The workforce housing initiative is really about mixed income," Allsup said in an April 2025 interview. "It's about opportunities for schoolteachers and for firefighters and police officers."
One document obtained by 6 Investigates shows details of these arrangements. In one case involving Azure Apartments, investors could benefit nearly $11.4 million over ten years while “program rents” are higher than rents already in place.
“The purpose here is not to get rich. This is a new opportunity to provide housing for those folks that need it. It is for new families. It is for those folks that are caught in the middle.”
Allsup acknowledged that over 30,000 people are on the Section 8 waiting list. He said the workforce housing program does not address those needs.
“Too many times we do things for ultra low income, and I wish I could double my section eight vouchers, I really do, I wish I could do that today. I don't have the funds to do it. That's and quite frankly, with what's going on and with our friends in DC, we're going to have fewer next year than we do this year because we're just going to see budget cuts,” Allsup previously said, explaining that federal funding limitations prevent him from expanding Section 8 assistance.
Warner's Personal Journey
For Warner, the debate over tax exemptions and property acquisitions feels far removed from her daily reality. After surviving a car accident that doctors said would leave her unable to walk, Warner spent over a year in physical therapy, motivated by the need to care for her three children.
"I was considered a cripple for life," she said. "With a lot of prayers, praying and praying and going to therapy... I ended up walking."
Now, four decades later, she finds herself fighting a different battle. As she organizes from her hospice bed, the main elevator remains broken, forcing elderly and disabled residents to navigate the complex.
"We need help," Warner said simply. "I'm not the only one. Everybody else needs help here."
Board Response
The three new commissioners appointed by Mayor Guajardo have voted to pause additional workforce housing deals while they investigate the program. Gonzalez-Rodriguez said she wants to refocus on the Housing Authority's original mission.
"This housing authority has been within our community since 1938," she said. "While it is troubling, it is concerning... this also gives us an opportunity to refocus and recommit ourselves to the original mission and vision of the Housing Authority."
For Mary Warner and thousands of other residents, that commitment represents hope for change. She holds onto hope that speaking out might bring change — even as she acknowledges the risk.
"Nobody wants to do it," she said of her petition effort. "I'm going to have to do it. And that's why I went ahead and did it."
Meanwhile, the realities persist: Warner continues her daily struggle with broken elevators and failing health, advocates push for accountability and reform, and CEO Gary Allsup's compensation continues as the Housing Authority faces ongoing scrutiny.
Allsup declined requests to be interviewed for this story.
