The Hoboken Housing Authority board retreated from a bid by some its members to remove Executive Director E. Troy Washington from his post Tuesday night.
Washington is the paid head of the agency that manages 1,353 units of federally subsidized housing in the southwest part of town. The seven-member volunteer Hoboken Housing Authority board oversees Washington, with guidance from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development.
HHA Board Chairman William Noonan recommended that Washington be suspended for 45 days with pay and benefits Tuesday night until the board could complete an investigation of Washington’s handling of a lawsuit involving a former tenant who was locked out in contradiction to a court order.
After vocal support from the public at the meeting, and from board commissioners Lynda Walker, Arlette Braxton, and Jean Rodriguez, the board declined to second Noonan’s recommendation.
Noonan asked Washington a series of questions, but made no definite accusations against the executive director. Before asking Washington about the lawsuit, he asked Washington how he had gotten a pay increase from $96,390 to $101,209.50.
With his attorney Harriet Huer-Miller present, Washington answered, "I recollect it had been voted on by the board in November."
Noonan then asked Washington about his handling of a suit by Housing Authority resident Getulio Cruz.
According to court documents, the Housing Authority locked Cruz out of his apartment on Adams Street on June 24 in spite of a June 21 Show Cause order from state Superior Court prohibiting them from barring Cruz.
According to a letter submitted by Cruz’s attorney, Cathy Cardillo, to Judge Arthur D’Italia last month, Cruz was first locked out of his apartment without any due process on Dec. 5, 2001 "shortly after his common-law wife’s death." Cardillo wrote, "When Mr. Cruz was first locked out of Apartment 9N, without any due process on Dec. 5, 2001, Mr. Cruz mentally and physically collapsed, tried to harm himself and was hospitalized at St. Mary’s Hospital psychiatric unit."
Cardillo said Thursday that the HHA had locked her client out after his living there for six years because he had never officially married his partner and had not been able to get added to her lease. After a court action in December, Cruz was allowed back into the apartment.
On June 21, the court issued another order telling the HHA to allow him to stay. But on June 24, he was locked out again.
"To think that [the Housing Authority] would be, excuse me, stupid enough to do this stunt again, with such risk to Mr. Cruz, is appalling," Cardillo wrote to the court on June 24. "Please have your Law Clerk advise how the Court would wish to handle this matter, for example, in person or by telephone, so that I can get Mr. Cruz back home without any more stress and upset."
Washington later submitted a letter to the court apologizing for the second incident. He said that he knew about the June 21 court order and had not had a chance to communicate it to his site manager because he was so busy with litigation involving the HHA commissioners and the board’s law firm. On June 21, he said, there was a hearing regarding those matters, and he was in meetings. He said that on June 24, he was out of town at a conference when his site manager had the locks changed on Cruz’s apartment.
Cruz is now back in the apartment.
Noonan asked Washington about the case at Tuesday’s meeting. Washington replied that he did not have the file on the case with him at the time.
When asked by board members why the investigation could not be conducted with Washington remaining at his post, Noonan explained the suspension was needed.
"It is my belief the suspension is necessary for the financial integrity of the board," said Noonan.
Wanted him out anyway
There has been a previous history of contention on the board, with fighting between pro and anti-Washington factions. Supporters of Washington, including Walker, Braxton and Rodriguez, have backed Washington’s actions as executive director and have been opposed to involvement by City Hall in the Housing Authority.
A faction opposed to Washington is made up of Noonan, Angel Alicea and Jessica Andreula and is said to be open to input from city administration. The recent addition of Councilman Ruben Ramos to the board has given the anti-Washington group a majority on the board.
On Tuesday, Washington was also questioned on the Housing board meeting held June 30, which some of the board members claimed was illegal. Washington, acting on the authority of Braxton and Walker, had posted fliers stating the meeting was cancelled. Commissioners Alicea, Andreula, Ramos, and Noonan conducted the meeting, with Walker, Braxton, and Rodriguez not participating, claiming the meeting was illegal without the presence of legal representation.
Washington defended his actions by stating he had been instructed by members of the board.
A number of Hoboken residents spoke out strongly on behalf of keeping Washington at his position Tuesday, among them Carrie Gilliard, president of the Hoboken chapter of the NAACP.
"The board has nothing to justify the removal of Mr. Washington," Gilliard declared. "He has done more for the Hoboken Housing Authority than anyone before him."
Gilliard added the Hoboken branch of the NAACP would support Washington if any action were taken toward his removal. There was speculation by a number of people present at the meeting that the proposed removal of Washington would be the first step toward the privatization of the Housing Authority and a decrease in affordable housing in Hoboken.
Washington has served in his position for three years. Before that, he was the agency’s comptroller and had not worked in a public housing agency.
Fourth Ward resident Mike Lenz congratulated the board on its decision not to move on the recommended suspension of Washington and urged the board to learn from this experience and work in unison in the future. According to a published report, the board and Washington intend to communicate better.
Fragile health
Cardillo, the tenant attorney, was surprised Thursday to hear that the lawsuit had been mentioned at the meeting. She said that no one had contacted her about it.
Cardillo said that Cruz has filed a lawsuit to be able to stay in the apartment, as well as for compensatory damages.
"They know he collapsed and was in the hospital for almost a week," she said. "To lock him out again in the middle of litigation…I brought him to court with me and he had his head on the banister. If something had happened to this man I would not have forgiven anybody. The first time they locked him out, it never should have happened."
Washington wrote in his response to the court, "I, at no time, meant any disrespect to the court or maliciously ignored its order…this was an unfortunate failure of communication between myself and the site manager. I have the utmost respect for the court, and would request that based upon the above explanation, that the court not sanction the Hoboken Housing Authority."