Friday, December 6, 2024

Willie L. Hines Jr. To Retirement As Secretary-Executive Director Of The Housing Authority Of The City Of Milwaukee, Effective December 31, 2024, The Mayor's Office Confirmed

Hines Jr. to retire as the Secretary-Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, the mayor's office confirmed.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 6, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Friday, the Milwaukee mayor's office confirmed that Willie Hines Jr., 60, the Secretary-Executive Director of the Housing Authority City of Milwaukee (HACM) will retire at the end of 2024 and will get $11K per month from the City of Milwaukee pension fund.

The HACM Board of Commissioners on October 30, 2024 approved a resolution authorizing staff to finalize a contract with CVR Associates, Inc. to manage and operate HACM's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. The vote helps ensure the 60-day transition period aligns with the start of the new fiscal year, according to HACM.

Previously, Hines had been accused of failing to resolve some of the issues that tenants at the HACM had complained about, such as bed bugs infestation at some of the developments that 15,000 tenants reside at, according to Common Ground, a non-profit organization that exposed most of the issues along with tenants on March 26, 2023. (http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2023/03/common-ground-group-wants-hacm-non.html)

In August 2024, 5 HACM tenants from College Court filed a lawsuit against Hines including HACM for failure to get rid of the bedbug infestation at the development. (Milwaukee County court case number 2024CV006939)

Also, a federal audit by the U.S. Department of Housing of Urban Development (HUD) found that $2.5M was unaccounted for and Hines couldn't account where the federal money was spent on.

Since 2022, Common Ground and HACM development residents have called on City of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson to replace Hines, but Johnson has not listened and refused to remove Hines from the helm of the HACM. 

Also, the Milwaukee Common Council had failed to push for Hines removal including most of the HACM Board who serve as a rubber stamp for Hines.

The HACM Board of Commissioners approved Mayor Johnson's appointment of Hines on March 10, 2022 to the HACM, as secretary-executive director. Hines was a former Chair of the HACM Board (1998-2014).

Hines allegedly had plans to stay HACM until March 2025 to retire, so he could get a taxpayer pension of $137,000 per year.

HACM employees are also covered by the City of Milwaukee retirement pensions.

In early August 2024, Common Ground, a advocacy non-profit organization and HACM residents in a open letter to Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson wrote, Mr. Mayor, your friend and campaign contributor has mismanaged HACM for the last 25 years. Hines has been at the helm of HACM since 1997—as Board Chair, the #2 staff, and now the #1! From the beginning, federal officials warned that he "does not seem to possess the requisite qualifications." Under his watch:

• Federal officials found $3 million of missing money and our social security cards piled in hallways, resulting in a forensic audit.

• HACM was forced to outsource its largest program, Section 8 rent assistance—the program he was responsible for as Associate Director 2015-2022.

• Federal officials gave HACM a score of zero out of 25 for "Financial Management." 

• Properties have enormous crime rates with thousands of police calls. 

• We residents have suffered emotionally and physically for years.

Despite these problems, the HACM Board has never conducted a Performance Review of Hines' work. In fact, his incompetence has been rewarded. He has gotten promotions, received raises, and is now paid $252,000/year, which is $82,000 more than Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson's salary. 

College Court tenants Class Action lawsuit (PDF) at link: https://tinyurl.com/y52xavah


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