Residents make their concerns known at a special board meeting of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee on Oct. 11. (Photo by PrincessSafiya Byers)
By PrincessSafiya Byers
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
After two years of resident outcry, Willie Hines, the embattled secretary-executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, has resigned as the agency continues to face challenges.
A week after the news of Hines’ resignation hit, an Oct. 18 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was released by Common Ground, a nonpartisan coalition that addresses community issues.
The report said the Housing Authority’s financial reporting is off, board oversight is insufficient and the agency does not have adequate management of physical assets to ensure the provision of safe, decent and sanitary housing for its public housing residents.
Betty Newton, a Housing Authority resident, said the report validates what she’s always believed, which is that Hines was not qualified for the position.
“Him resigning was no surprise to me. I told the mayor he would in June,” Newton said. “I’m hopeful he will be replaced with a qualified person with extensive housing experience.”
Hines did not respond to requests for comment.
New interim executive director named as resignations continue
Meanwhile, the Housing Authority has appointed Kenneth Barbeau as interim secretary-executive director. Barbeau took over leadership of HACM’s operations on Jan. 1.
In another disruption of HACM’s leadership, Deputy Director Fernando Aniban has also resigned after serving with the agency since 2009.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, HACM’s seven-member board continues to have turnover with resignations of two board members – Darian Luckett and Sherri Reed Daniels.
Jeff Fleming, a spokesperson for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, said the mayor is focused on his specific responsibility, which is to nominate members to the HACM board.
“He has made it clear he wants prompt progress from HACM, and to the extent the board wants his assistance, the mayor is ready to support the search for new leadership,” Fleming said in an email.
The background
Hines started his position with the Housing Authority in 2014, after he left his role as Common Council president to become the Authority’s associate director.
That position didn’t last long because a HUD representative believed it was a federal conflict of interest, given his role as a board member before starting as associate director.
So Hines moved over to become a consultant to Friends of Housing Inc., a nonprofit that manages some Housing Authority properties, until he was able to start as HACM assistant director in 2015.
He started his role as secretary-executive director in March of 2022.
Over the last two years under Hines’ leadership, the Housing Authority has been the center of controversy for alleged lost rent payments, poor management and maintenance problems. Hundreds of the authority’s residents have been part of a campaign calling for an investigation into the agency.
The City of Milwaukee now oversees Housing Authority residents’ maintenance concerns. In addition, the Common Council approved $250,000 in funding in October of 2023, to enable the Housing Authority to accelerate maintenance and repair work and to make other improvements to its properties.
In addition, five residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the Housing Authority for chronic bed bugs. Since September of 2023, residents have been calling for Hines to be removed as the head of HACM, claiming he was unqualified for the position.
The most recent HUD report echoed those sentiments.
Other reactions
Jennifer O’Hear, the lead organizer and executive director of Common Ground, said Common Ground sees an opportunity in all of this happening at once.
“I see this as a huge win despite the fact that this new information is horrible,” O’Hear said. “It’s an opportunity to get some competent leadership into the Housing Authority. Though it won’t be quick, things can change.”
Ald. José Pérez said the Common Council hopes to be more involved in the Housing Authority’s dealings going forward.
“I am concerned about how deep the issues run, considering how long they have been ongoing,” Perez said. “The Common Council has been told time and time again that we have no oversight of HACM and we haven’t been receiving vital information.”
Moving forward
O’Hear said moving forward, the new board will now be accountable for the dealings of HACM.
“They’ll need time and they’ll need help,” she said. “But with a good interim and a national search for a new leader, HACM can make needed changes.”
Cornelius Sawyer, president of Highland Gardens and a Section 8 voucher holder, said he believes steps are being taken in the right direction but more has to be done.
“The report was no surprise to me because residents have been complaining about these issues,” he said. “The local HUD office needs to also be held accountable for changes not being made.”
In the past few months, HACM has gotten several new board commissioners, a welcome sign to O’Hear and others.
“It’ll be work but you can already feel the shift in culture,” said O’Hear. “There is a lot of hope and opportunity in these changes.”