Former Fulton Housing Authority members’ court fight over removal ends

Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts third from left attended a groundbreaking for senior affordable housing with the Housing Authority of Fulton County on March Via Facebook The removal of Antavius Weems and Lamar White from the Housing Authority of Fulton County stands after they failed to attend Fulton Superior Court hearings in their bid to have the county s actions ruled improper If it is not appealed it is over We do not anticipate an appeal given the fact that these individuals did not appear for two hearings Fulton County Attorney Y Soo Jo described the Fulton County Board of Commissioners during their March meeting The commissioners removed Weems who served as chairman of the authority and White its vice chair in July after they failed to follow the commission s request that all members resign Soo Jo recapped events from late to mid- during which the commission heard man citizens comments alleging mismanagement and corruption at the Housing Authority of Fulton County Those complaints culminated in June and July She reported the county and the housing authority received two notifications from the U S Department of Housing and Urban Progress HUD of deficiencies lack of compliance and a promising for troubled designation based on non-compliance The housing authority received a tally of zero out of in July from HUD HUD recommended that the county replace the housing authority members and conduct an audit due to questions about financial records and late payments including those for federal Housing Choice Vouchers used to assist low-income families the elderly and the disabled In response to the HUD communications this board requested that the housing authority board members resign to make room for a new slate of members Soo Jo declared Commissioners explained they were removing members and rebuilding the Housing Authority board following guidance from the federal agency that funds its projects during the July meeting Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts declared during that meeting that all funding for the housing authority is from federal grants administered by HUD That included venture benefits staffing facilities equipment and all other administrative costs none of which Fulton County provides or controls The county s only role in the housing authority is the appointment and removal if necessary of Housing Authority board members Pitts mentioned The commission appointed four new housing authority members during the same meeting in which Weems and White were removed Those new members Felicia Moore Stephen Davis Holly York and Lauren Waits met days after their appointment and voted to hire an affordable housing industry consultant and moved forward on a forensic audit of the agency s financial records Pitts called the current housing authority one of the best yet He took part in a up-to-date groundbreaking on a South Fulton County project with the authority for a project that will create affordable housing units According to a Facebook post the third phase of the Anthem Senior Living Society at Waycrest Drive South Fulton will deliver one and two-bedroom units reserved exclusively for seniors The new units will be available in early The post Former Fulton Housing Authority members court fight over removal ends appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta