HUD’s House of Cards for ProPublica
For decades, residents in the small rural community of Cairo, Illinois had been stuck living in aging and neglected buildings with inoperable heat, leaky ceilings, broken windows, mold, mice, roaches, and frequently clogged toilets and sinks. And for years, federal authorities failed to step in despite regular financial reviews and building inspections that should have flagged problems and prompted corrective action much sooner.
ProPublica: “HUD Long Neglected These Residents. Now As They Move Out, Some Feel HUD Let Them Down Again.”
And in East St. Louis, The HUD secretary came to town last year and declared residents were no longer at risk, three decades after the federal government took over public housing here. In fact, the complexes are falling apart and a woman was killed in the weeks before his visit.
ProPublica: “Ben Carson Declared Mission Accomplished in East St. Louis — Where Public Housing Is Still a Disaster.”
As recently as last year, HUD had told officials in Wellston, Missouri, that they would get their local housing authority back. Then federal officials changed their minds. Wellston will join a growing list of HUD oversight failures, including the Illinois cities of East St. Louis and Cairo.
ProPublica: “HUD Took Over Wellston’s Housing Authority 22 Years Ago. Now the Authority’s Broke and Residents Are Being Pushed Out.”
