PHA Problems in SWCC

[govtstatistic]

and your money marches onward

Hey I Resemble that remark
I was convicted of
racketeering
extortion
interstate commerce destroying
obstruction of justice
for being a plumbing inspector for the city of Philadelphia
and of accepting tips /or gratuities of less then 30 bucks a year

I just love how screw-ups in the Federal Government rarely get fired - instead they get Promoted! Great! I'm sure the latest PHA head needs a new job though at $300k year, and I'm damn sure he won't find one anywhere else outside of HUD.

Here's a neat screen shot of the rear of 1522 Catharine - a PHA home used frequently for drug sales, and where the occupants have been busted with illegal drugs and weapons in the home. Yet PHA won't evict them. Nice.

Here's the back of the place - definitely some doors and windows violations here. PHA did rehab the entire front home though before moving the drug dealers in, so they can have a nice place to sell drugs out of all day and night. 1518 rear is two doors down and is generally not kept up at all either, no sidewalk for instance, or fence/gate. Great job guys, keep up the good work with your $140 million dollars of stimulus funds alone.

1522 Catharine St. - Google Maps

I love this google street view of 1522 Catharine - with the drug addict/prostitute lady from 1533 Catharine st on its steps, looking down to her crew at 1533 Catharine. There's no drug activity between those two addresses though, nawwwwwww

1520 Catharine St. - Google Maps

[torts]

That was a drug house before you moved in, so it's OK. It's called "the rule against perpetuities."

[torts]

Have you tried talking to Asia Coney? Maybe she can help.

[bootsywannabe]

Ha yeah the best part about 1522 was that they moved some other family out of it, totally renovated it (except the falling down garage at the rear), and moved the drug family #2 in there. Seriously, they're buds with the main drug family #1 proper in that block, close friends as far as I can tell. Who at PHA made the decision to move the first family out, rehab the place, and then move a drug crew in there that just happens to be close friends with the drug crew across the street? Drug family #1 across the street own their houses though and need the PHA houses to do some of their business. I'd really like to know which PHA wonk made that move. Gotta be drug mafia stuff.

[topogigio]

At 12:05pm today at 22nd and Fitzwater a police car pulled up to the corner where an officer ran into 2135--the door, of course, was wide open. (Why should they have to worry about paying their heating bills?) The doors are always open to make dealing easier.

Three additional cruisers showed up within seconds. One of the officers ran out of 2135, gun drawn, and then went into 2133 where there was the sound of something crashing or exploding.

Both addresses are PHA houses where convicted drug dealers such as the Billups (2133 Fitz.) and the Lyons (2135 Fitz) family continue to live along with several other dealers who are illegal tenants of both properties.

These as well as others dealers work throughout the 22nd corridor and then pick up the stash at the PHA and HCV houses located on both sides of 22nd street. Drug dealing family associates and last names of those who still live at these addresses as well as others on the block include Swint, Bloodsaw, Mainor, Watson, Strickland--proven drug family associates (family members) who still live at these federally funded houses. Why?

There was a shooting around the same time last year, and I think another shooting around this time the year before that. Seems to have become a Thanksgiving tradition in these houses. And PHA does Nothing to stop this. Absolutely Nothing.

[torts]

"No, really. It's not 'that' big a deal. A shooting here and there is 'good' for the neighborhood. Give 'thanks' that your children didn't get hit with any stray bullets."

-PHA

[govtstatistic]

There Is No Blackmailing here , or public extortion by our officials for allowing these kinds of things to continue ?
Is There?
If Someone talks that would be a shame
I Guess the real question here is
who seems to benefit?
?

[BarryG]

At 12:05pm today at 22nd and Fitzwater a police car pulled up to the corner where an officer ran into 2135--the door, of course, was wide open. (Why should they have to worry about paying their heating bills?) The doors are always open to make dealing easier.

Three additional cruisers showed up within seconds. One of the officers ran out of 2135, gun drawn, and then went into 2133 where there was the sound of something crashing or exploding.

Both addresses are PHA houses where convicted drug dealers such as the Billups (2133 Fitz.) and the Lyons (2135 Fitz) family continue to live along with several other dealers who are illegal tenants of both properties.

These as well as others dealers work throughout the 22nd corridor and then pick up the stash at the PHA and HCV houses located on both sides of 22nd street. Drug dealing family associates and last names of those who still live at these addresses as well as others on the block include Swint, Bloodsaw, Mainor, Watson, Strickland--proven drug family associates (family members) who still live at these federally funded houses. Why?

There was a shooting around the same time last year, and I think another shooting around this time the year before that. Seems to have become a Thanksgiving tradition in these houses. And PHA does Nothing to stop this. Absolutely Nothing.

If all this and other things posted on this board true, the local PHA is bought off by the drug gangs. Has anyone made complaints at the federal level?

[govtstatistic]

If all this and other things posted on this board true, the local PHA is bought off by the drug gangs. Has anyone made complaints at the federal level?

If you keep ignoring it .
it will eventually go away
with all of your new tax money
to help the U.N
for all of the inequality in the world

It Is All True
but those who say anything are targeted by the feds for something

Are Not All The Elites Unaccountable?
They Are Helping
Isn't it such a great thing that they can keep such a lid on these kinds of spending and expeditures ?

Given all this, it's clear why many economists predict that the US could sink into another recession during the first half of 2013 if drastic changes aren't made.

[annie]

If all this and other things posted on this board true, the local PHA is bought off by the drug gangs. Has anyone made complaints at the federal level?

Grassley calls for probe of Philadelphia Housing Authority spending - Philly.com

Did anything ever come from this?

[bootsywannabe]

If all this and other things posted on this board true, the local PHA is bought off by the drug gangs. Has anyone made complaints at the federal level?

Sure, multiple times. Issa is responsive, and so are some of the other Republicans in the House. Our local Federal Reps though are totally unresponsive, other than to give blanket pro-PHA statements, i.e. form letters. I have posted these before from Casey for example.

[topogigio]

Several letters regarding the illegal drug/criminal activity that continues to exist in many of the PHA and scattered sites properties have been sent to Grassley, Issa, Donovan, and Casey.

Grassley has focused his investigation, beginning in 2010, on waste, fraud, and corruption, but there is no mention in the two years of correspondence that I've read from the Senator to Secy. Donovan or others that mentions the fact that many of the PHA properties in our area function not only as a point of purchase for drugs, but also as warehouses and a safe haven for convicted criminals. It's my understanding that although HUD does have authority over PHA, it is up to the local PHA administration to "use their own discretion" when it comes to evicting any or all tenants of specific properties even if they have been designated as nuisance properties as discussed in HUD v Rucker.

What does become clear is that HUD, at times, does not respond to requests made by Grassley and, even when there is a response, HUD is slow to act often stating that they are currently monitoring the situation in question.

An excerpt from one of the most recent letters sent from Grassley to Menendez and DeMint asking for assistance in helping to get some response from HUD:

October 17, 2012

Via Electronic Transmission

The Honorable Robert Menendez
Chairman
Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation,
and Community Development
Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Menendez and Ranking Member DeMint:

Since March 15, 2010, I have been investigating the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). During those two years I have been writing to HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan regarding concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money by Public
Housing Authorities (PHAs). Many of those letters have gone unanswered, and I ask for your
help to receive responses from HUD.

On the same date: Press Release from Sen. Grassley's office dated Oct 17th, 2012:

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today urged key fellow senators to help ensure the appropriate spending of tax dollars after housing authority scandals across the country have revealed wasted funding and abuse of the public trust in a vacuum of oversight.

“For more than two years, I’ve urged Secretary Shaun Donovan and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to perform more oversight of the billions of federal dollars that go to local housing authorities,” Grassley said. “The agency has taken a few positive steps, but progress has been too slow. The agency seems to get involved in oversight of local housing authorities only after the fact, when the abuse has occurred and local media have documented the problems. For the public benefit, we need to reverse the timeframe. HUD and local housing authorities need to prevent malfeasance on the front end, not chase it after the fact when it’s too late. I hope the senators responsible for HUD funding and programs will step in and help me reverse the lax oversight that harms the people who need safe, affordable housing and the taxpayers alike.”

The problem at PHA appears to be one of gross negligence in management at both the local and federal levels. It was only after Grassley received an article published in the Inquirer and the Daily News in 2010 that he was made aware of any problems that existed at PHA. HUD had absolutely no knowledge of the corruption and, apparently, was not concerned of how millions of our tax dollars were being spent/wasted. Shocking, considering that PHA is the fourth largest agency in the nation and received $127 million in stimulus funds.

Sen Grassley wrote to Sean Donovan in a letter dated August 23, 2010:

"A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer described one
situation where the Philadelphia PHA Executive Director is receiving an annual
compensation of over $350,000, more than the Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania
Governor combined. This includes an annual salary of $306,370, as well as a bonus,
which totaled more than $44,000. Additionally, the Philadelphia Daily News
reported that the Executive Director established a fund which he “dubbed
the "Pennsylvania Institute of Affordable Housing." According to the report, “Roughly
300 PHA staffers pa[id] $2.12 each week to the fund” and “[T]he $2.12 fee,
automatically deducted from paychecks of nonunion PHA staffers, does not include an
additional $300 to $600 that senior staffers say they're expected to kick in each year for
gifts and events….”

Even more alarming, this Executive Director is responsible for spending $127
million in Stimulus funds for 1,200 housing units. As Secretary of HUD, discretion for
awarding Stimulus funds has been left to you. I am concerned, especially given the
financial issues I raised regarding distribution of Stimulus funds to troubled PHAs, that
fraud, waste, and abuse of these funds may extend beyond just troubled PHAs. "

What's interesting here is that Philadelphia's PHA, at the time, was not considered among the many other agencies under the category of "troubled". PHA not considered 'troubled" even at a time when Greene was spending millions on outside legal council, exorbitant salaries, bonuses, perks, parties, etc., not to mention the cover up, payouts, waste, and all other fraudulent activities that went completely unnoticed for years? Basically, HUD gave PHA hundreds of millions to spend in any manner they desired without any concern as to who or where the money went. Apparently, no one at the Federal level, neither HUD or any other office had any knowledge whatsoever as to what was going on and PHA, without the necessary oversight, went completely mad in their spending.

And now PHA is poised to be placed back into local control in the very near future!:

City moves closer to local control of PHA

http://www.pha.phila.gov/media/88950...t_10_25_12.pdf

HUD has proven itself to be completely lax in management and incapable of oversight. It's only a matter of time after the agency is returned to local control that we'll again see a decade of unchecked out-of-control spending, continued waste, fraud, corruption and ,oh, let's not forget about the drug dealing/criminal tenants who have taken over several PHA/HCV and scattered sites properties throughout many of our neighborhoods. Looks like they're here to stay.

[topogigio]

Grassley calls for probe of Philadelphia Housing Authority spending - Philly.com

Did anything ever come from this?

Issue Date: September 28, 2011
Audit Report No. 2011-PH-1016
Title: The Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia, PA, Did Not Have Conflicts of Interest Related to Recovery Act Rehabilitation but Failed To Comply With Financial Disclosure Requirements

We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) conflict-of-interest and financial disclosure requirements as a result of the Authority’s initial failure to comply with an Office of Inspector General (OIG) subpoena during a previous American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 audit. (HUD OIG audit report number 2011-PH-1010, “The Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia, PA, Failed To Support Payments and Improperly Used Funds From the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” dated May 17, 2011). This audit was needed to evaluate information we later obtained from the Authority as a result of the United States District Court’s summary enforcement of the subpoena. The audit objective addressed in this report was to determine whether there were any apparent conflicts of interest involving responsible Authority employees and contractors that performed Recovery Act-funded rehabilitation of the Authority’s scattered site housing units and whether the Authority complied with mandatory financial disclosure reporting requirements.

The information we obtained from enforcement of the OIG subpoena did not indicate the existence of any apparent conflicts of interest involving Authority employees and the contractor or subcontractors that completed Recovery Act-funded rehabilitation of the Authority’s scattered site housing units. The audit did show, however, that the Authority did not comply with provisions in its Moving to Work Demonstration program agreement with HUD that required it to comply with State and local laws because it failed to comply with financial disclosure provisions in the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employee Ethics Act.

We recommend that HUD require the Authority (1) take immediate action to ensure that appropriate employees and board members file the required financial disclosures for calendar year 2010 and for the year following their termination of service and (2) fully implement and enforce the financial disclosure statement policies and procedures approved by its board on July 22, 2011.


And then, the result of the most recent FBI investigation:

FBI — Former PHA Manager Charged with Defrauding the City Program of More Than $400,000

[govtstatistic]

If all this and other things posted on this board true, the local PHA is bought off by the drug gangs. Has anyone made complaints at the federal level?

Thats what happens when the watchers are unaccountable
they are only accountable in getting re-elected

[Lolly]

Just spotted on Kenyatta Johnson's Facebook page:

"The Philadelphia Housing Authority Police are seeking recruits. So, if you're interested in becoming a police officer for the Philadelphia Housing Authority, check out the PHA Police Job Fair this Thursday, Dec. 6th, from 10 a.m to 2 p.m., at 1800 S. 32nd St. in Philadelphia. To qualify, applicants must possess a high school diploma or GED, an act 120 Certification or obtain one within 30 days, hold a valid Pennsylvania driver's license, meet residency requirements and be willing to commit to the position for a minimum of two years. For more information, call 215-684-8815 or go to police.jobs@pha.phila.gov"

[bootsywannabe]

so after firing most of their police force, now they're going to rehire them? nothing like throwing more money at a problem. maybe they can rehire the same police they just let go, probably after giving them payouts and/or early retirement. hey though, when it's somebody else's money, what's the problem, right? sorta like DROP - take the money, get rehired, get more money. nice work if you can get it

[topogigio]

I think Bootsy may be right. This is merely throwing good money after bad. Believe me, the only way to solve the problem of criminal activity in PHA properties is by evicting all tenants who have a criminal past and continue to commit crimes while living in federally funded housing. These guys, along with all family members and illegal tenants who are complicit in these crimes, must be permanently removed from the properties in order to have any lasting effect.

While several of the PHA/HCV tenants in my neighborhood have been arrested and some have actually served time in prison, many, after being released, return to their Gran's or their Mother's apartments and, within a short amount of time, are back to dealing, stealing, robbing, etc.

In 1998, the PHAPD had more than 350 officers on its payroll. This was also at a time when several high rise projects were among the most dangerous in the nation. No amount of police force or number of police officers could have controlled the situation. Although the demolition of these projects led to the construction of smaller town homes and it would appear as if crime is not nearly as bad as it once was, we simply cannot avoid the fact that several other properties are still controlled by criminals and drug gangs. Take Bartram Village and the Courtyard Apts. for example. It took the FBI years to investigate and eventually arrest several members of the gangs that had been terrorizing these neighborhoods for decades. The trial at Bartram Village continues and gang members, once convicted, must be permanently banned from all PHA properties. Yet, the only way to keep these guys from returning to "their homes" is to evict all of the family members as well.

Although Jeremiah states that he is paying for the increase in officers by cutting "a portion" of the private security contracts ($30 million) which were negotiated by Greene in order to hire "security personnel", none of whom were allowed or had the authority to make arrests, it would appear as if he's really just moving money from one budget line to another with the hope that a increased presence in policing will actually have a outcome different from that in the past. Sure, more arrests may be made, but that's really all we can expect,

Also, according to PHA, the additional officers will be added over the next 12 months and will be paid $44,000 to $50,000 a year. Although all PHA and scattered sites properties are to be monitored, most of the officers will be assigned to the agency's older and more troubled housing developments, including the Norman Blumberg, Raymond Rosen, and Abbotsford apartments in North Philadelphia; Westpark in West Philadelphia; Wilson Park in South Philadelphia; and Hill Creek Apartments in the Northeast.

[govtstatistic]

at least we know that our gubmint approved of thew million dollar payouts by the greens on the taxpayers dime
maybe we can hire a few more
or a few more to keep a closer eye on thefts and frauds
is the 3 investigators over with their investigation ?
POLITICS

[topogigio]

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan has encouraged the nation's Public Housing Authorities to be flexible in allowing ex-offenders/criminals to rejoin their families in public housing developments or in Section 8 programs upon their release from prison.

PHAs have substantial discretionary authority in responding to criminal activity, and eviction or termination is not a required response to every instance of illegal drug use, criminal activity, or lease violation.

The following letter sent by Donovan to all PHA Executive Directors dated June, 2011:

http://www.nationalreentryresourcece...er_6.23.11.pdf

[topogigio]

so after firing most of their police force, now they're going to rehire them? nothing like throwing more money at a problem. maybe they can rehire the same police they just let go, probably after giving them payouts and/or early retirement. hey though, when it's somebody else's money, what's the problem, right? sorta like DROP - take the money, get rehired, get more money. nice work if you can get it

Philadelphia Housing Authority Police | Facebook

Antonio Fuller
PHAPD is on the rise again our new Chief Walton has got things on the ball and now we are building our police department up again, so all that are able to come back, give HR a call and come on back home. And any new blood out there we are hiring. God had brought us a long way. Thank you Jesus. Much love to all my PHA family.
Like · · October 15 at 12:14pm via mobile

20 people like this.
View all 9 comments
Antonio Fuller Joe right now they are only hiring people with 120 certification they are having a open house in December call 215-684-4837 Joe and ask for the date.
November 17 at 11:31pm via mobile · Like
Joe Maultz I just went back to the academy and renewed my 120 cert so I am good to go. I'll pop in on that open house.

Not sure if these guys were offered buy outs, etc., but it looks as if they're ready to return to the ranks.