[Contra County] Grand jury slams Richmond Housing Authority, suggests corrective course

RICHMOND -- A new civil grand jury report suggests a plan to reform the long-embattled Richmond Housing Authority, including more staff training, faster response to tenant complaints and improved communication between the executive director and employees.

The housing authority, which manages five public housing sites in Richmond and has a $28 million annual budget, has been roiled by evidence of improper financial management, dysfunction and nepotism, and numerous former employees have been implicated in illegal activities.

Three years ago, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development labeled the agency "troubled," although it has recently raised the grade to "adequate."

Now the Contra Costa grand jury has recommended a path of corrective action that includes requiring the housing authority to:

•     Centralize the location of all staff so that everyone works in the same office as Executive Director Tim Jones.

•     Hire an experienced front-line manager to oversee and supervise staff.

•     Give yearly performance evaluations to all employees and discipline poorly performing staff.

•     Conduct ongoing customer service training to make sure workers are responsive to resident complaints.

Other concerns raised in the report include maintenance work orders that are either ignored or responded to late, no regular employee reviews and a "disjointed" office culture in which the executive director seldom meets with staff or resident councils.

Jones has held no more than four "all hands" staff meetings since being hired 10 years ago, according to the report, and is perceived as "not sufficiently responsive" and "elusive," withholding information from staff at times.

"While the Executive Director is credited for being good on technical and data-driven work, he is criticized as being weak on employee relations and not having 'an open-door policy,'" the author of the report wrote.

Reached for comment, Jones said he welcomed the feedback.

"I appreciate the assessment of RHA's operations and the opinion of my leadership capabilities," Jones said in an email. "This information will assist in our endeavors toward continued improvement in service delivery and personnel management."

The grand jury findings are recommendations to local officials, and the housing authority has until August to respond.

Councilwoman Gayle McLaughlin said she found the recommendations "good" and would call for a study session to consider how to implement the suggestions.

June 8, 2015

Contra Costa Times

By Karina Ioffee