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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 25, 2002
Misuse of federal funding for housing has been a problem as long as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has existed. Projects across the nation, and especially those in large urban areas, have suffered at the hands of bureaucrats, some corrupt and some merely uncaring, who take advantage of taxpayers. Worse, the abuses have fostered the suffering of poor people who cannot afford to escape housing that is too often unsafe, unhealthy and unsightly.
But big cities are not the only places where money is mishandled. Small towns have their share of abuses, and it appears Brooksville has not escaped that fate.
Staff writer Dan Dewitt reported in Sunday's Times that a HUD audit of Hillside Estates, a 90-unit apartment complex under the auspices of the Brooksville Housing Authority, uncovered two dozen instances of federal funds being misused, or housing authority policies being violated.
The most alarming discrepancy is that federal grant money that was supposed to be used only for renovations was tapped to pay $20,000 in 2001 for extra supervisory and administrative work for Hillside Estates' second-in-command, Joe Ann Bennett. That was in addition to Bennett's annual base base of $31,400. Since HUD objected, Bennett has paid back $7,000.
In addition, some employees, including Larry Trent, the son of executive director Betty Trent, did not provide documentation for overtime pay or compensatory time.
With the exception of former member Andy Williams, the Brooksville Housing Authority's response to HUD's findings has been tepid, with most members characterizing the problems as exaggerated examples of sloppy bookkeeping. They defend the managers of the apartment complex, saying the faults HUD found pale in comparison to the improvements that have been made to the apartment complex.
Although progress is evident at the site, which once was a crime-ridden eyesore, it does not diminish the seriousness of the HUD audit.
Lack of oversight from HUD officials has always been a problem because they have not been aggressive enough in enforcing their rules. That is especially true in smaller communities, where the amount of money granted by HUD is minuscule compared to the billions the agency spends nationwide every year.
But not keeping close tabs on how the funds are spent invites negligence and misconduct. HUD officials should do a better job of on-site monitoring progress and paperwork, and in pursuing and punishing landlords who betray that trust. Increasing mandatory visits to all sites that receive federal funds is a good place to start.
The need for federally funded housing programs is critical. They don't just help the financially disadvantaged people who live there. They enhance the entire neighborhood by instilling community pride, housing the working poor and generally helping to enhance the area's economy.
Housing authority officials, whether here or in Washington, D.C., have a broad responsibility to the taxpayers who help subsidize their work, but their greatest responsibility is to the needy families who are dependent on their help. At the same time, taxpayers, as well as residents of all HUD-funded projects, reasonably expect that the money the government is sending to physically improve their living conditions is always being used for the intended purposes.
That clearly is not the case at Hillside Estates and the known problems should dictate greater scrutiny from both the Brooksville Housing Authority and HUD.