There are growing concerns about what is happening within the Housing Authority of Fulton County (HAFC) regarding its leadership, staffing, and financing, a program that helps provide housing to more than 10,000 people across Fulton County.
However, the agency and its Housing Choice Voucher Program, formerly known as Section 8, are under fire. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman said the board didn't just learn about this.
"Let’s be crystal clear about this, I sounded the alarm on the Fulton County Housing Authority over a year ago.," she explained.
Vice Chair Abdur-Rahman said the board must take action.
"We're at where the rubber meets the road," she said.
In a scathing letter from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sent to HAFC, Interim Executive Director Dr. Roslyn Harper it states a number of deficiencies their team found during an on-site review on June 26. HUD designated the agency as a 'troubled performer.'
HUD also expressed its concerns over current management when William L. Biggs, Acting Director of the Office of Public Housing, wrote the following:
The recommendation for the corrective action plan is to procure a third party to manage their HCV program. We believe the deficiencies cited in this report are beyond the abilities of the current management to correct. We also noted that the current staff lack the experience in their current roles to correct the deficiencies and improve the reporting procedures used to track the workload and the correct the information that is needed to make the annual self-certification to HUD under the SEMAP rules.
HUD also confirmed Friday that the agency recently visited HAFC and performed an on-site review due to the ongoing concerns regarding its performance. Following the review, HUD communicated to HAFC that there were performance deficiencies that must be corrected. HUD said it is in communication with HAFC to provide options to improve performance.
"It’s a gambit of a lot of wrong and what I call mismanagement," explained Abdur-Rahman.
HUD told HAFC that 60 calendar days from the date of their report, the agency should submit their corrective action plan.
Abdur-Rahman said that while much needs to be corrected within the agency, she knows its value and the services it provides to the people of Fulton County.
"I’ve actually been a recipient as young mother displaced, with the housing authority," Abdur-Rahman said.
She added, "It was the housing authority that helped me get back to my road of recovery, so we don’t need to dismantle we need to hold accountability."
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners released a statement Friday condemning the allegations against the HAFC.
The Housing Authority of Fulton County Board of Commissioners are aware of the serious allegations regarding former day-to-day staff misconduct, compliance reporting delays and possible misappropriation of funds within the organization. The allegations are deeply concerning, and the Board takes them seriously. Integrity and transparency are the fundamental values of the Board and organization. To uphold these principles, the Board has initiated a comprehensive and independent investigation into the matter as it pertains to the staff directly involved who are no longer with the organization. The Board has engaged external auditors to assist with the investigation to ensure it is conducted with the highest level of integrity, impartiality and professionalism. Notices will be sent out to former staff members, and the Board’s expectation is full cooperation, and any form of non-compliance will not be tolerated.
The Board has taken immediate action to work closely with HUD as it pertains to addressing any gaps, hire an experienced Executive Director and put in place new measures for staff to board reporting structure to maintain full transparency. It is the Board’s priority to maintain the trust of their stakeholders, including remaining employees, stakeholders and the community they serve. T
You can read the full letter from HUD sent to HAFC below: