News Blog

You know, Adam McFadden might’ve made a damn fine head of the Housing Authority. “Might’ve” because even if he manages to hold on to the job — HUD says he has to go — the GIANT STINK around his appointment taints everything going forward.

Some of this could’ve been avoided, if McFadden had only stepped down from City Council before accepting the interim job leading the authority. The conflict questions would’ve been gone. But you’d still have the questions about McFadden’s qualifications, connections, and the timing of his appointment. And you’d still have the outrage from the Hispanic community and others over the abrupt dismissal of Alex Castro.

But I’m looking at some of McFadden’s plans for the Housing Authority – shared at a recent meeting – and there are items that deserve discussion, at least: laws to prevent landlords from refusing Section 8 renters, for example, and a push for stricter financial controls. Nobody’s paying any attention to these initiatives, though, because they’re scraping off the shrapnel of the political stink bomb this whole thing has become.

And now because someone or multiple someones decided that we were going to make things as difficult as possible, we’ve got: an angry former RHA head who could very likely take legal action against RHA; an interim director with dubious credibility; millions of dollars in HUD funding to RHA in possible jeopardy; HUD seeking reimbursement for any HUD money the RHA used to pay McFadden thus far; damage to the reputation of a once-revered organization; another hit to Mayor Lovely Warren’s reputation – whether it’s deserved or not. And McFadden possibly without the RHA job or his Council seat a few months down the line.

Did I miss anything?