An updated statement from former Philadelphia mayor and current Philadelphia Housing Authority Chairman John F. Street has been released “for clarification.”
In it, Street says, “"I have spoken to each member of the Board and we will not resign in response to the HUD press release. We share HUD's interest in improving PHA's operations and we stand ready to fully cooperate with HUD as we have done in the past. However, we feel resigning is unwarranted.”
In a previous statement—the one that needed clarification—the word “not” was omitted from the first sentence, thus saying that members "will resign."
Hence any confusion regarding our previous report.
There has been a large debate between PHA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after scandals involving former PHA executive director Carl R. Greene which, at one point, caused Street to call him "the Tiger Woods of public housing."
HUD thinks these resignations are necessary to restore confidence and protect funding, but the PHA board finds these steps unnecessary.
"I will serve as long as I can," City Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell told Philly.com. "I hope that we can get through this. As long as I have the option, I'll stay."
