Several dozen residents from the Hoboken Housing Authority went to City Hall Wednesday to voice their support for Perry Belfiore to rejoin the projects’ governing board. The City Council listened, and by a vote of 6-0 gave Belfiore one of the seven volunteer positions on the HHA’s Board of Commissioners. He fills the seat vacated by resident Arlette Braxton, whose term ended at the beginning of June.
The HHA Board of Commissioners oversees the city’s approximately 1,383 federally subsidized units of low-income housing, primarily in the southwest part of town.
Brief history
In May 2003, Belfiore, a former school board member, was named as the governor’s appointee to the Housing Authority board.
On the Board of Commissioners, there is one position available for a governor’s designee, and the rest are filled by the mayor and City Council. Although the city selects a number of the commissioners, the Authority is not city-run. The commissioners answer directly to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Belfiore’s term expired approximately two months ago, and since that time, Anthony Cardino, who was once the executive director of the now defunct Hoboken Parking Authority, was appointed by the state, leaving Belfiore without a seat.
A crazy year
Even though Belfiore was only on the board for year, it was quite a year. Belfiore was one of the most ardent critics of then-Housing Authority Executive Director E. Troy Washington. In November 2003, Washington announced that he was leaving to head the Jersey City Housing Authority. He was terminated soon after.
Between November 2003 and January 2004, several of Washington’s critics said that Washington had not “been in control or managing” the Hoboken Housing Authority, which created an emergency situation that needed to be remedied immediately.
On January 8, 2004, the faction of the board of which Belfiore was a leading member called a special meeting to oust Washington early and hire an interim director. At the time, the board’s legal counsel said that the meeting was illegitimate. HUD scolded Belfiore’s faction for acting in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner and not following HUD policy. Belfiore was vocal that Washington had abdicated his responsibilities, and that the board had to do whatever was necessary to get rid of him.
After Washington left, it was discovered by a new director that the HHA was allegedly operating with a $3.6 million deficit and overspent its budget by millions of dollars. The good news for Belfiore was that his doggedness was vindicated. The bad news was that he burned many bridges when it came to his relationship with HUD. Belfiore said Wednesday that he was not reappointed as the governor’s appointee because he ruffled too many feathers at the Newark office of HUD.
“I took an unorthodox approach as a board member,” said Belfiore. He said that Washington was not doing his job, and despite the pleas of the majority of the board, HUD did not step in. “In this whole situation, HUD was the great enabler,” said Belfiore Wednesday night.
He added that the only way that anything was going to be accomplished was for the board to take matters into their own hands, even if that meant upsetting HUD. “You have to break some eggs to make an omelet,” he said.
Residents speak in favor
Going into this appointment, there was some consensus that Braxton, who lives in the Housing Authority and is an African-American, should be replaced by another minority resident of the Housing Authority.
But even Braxton herself said that Belfiore’s performance warranted his appointment.
“There seems to be an issue with Perry getting [this seat],” said Braxton. “But I for one am glad that he is going to get it. He is going to be someone that fights for the residents.” Lillian Dortch, a longtime city employee who recently retired and is a longtime resident of the Housing Authority, said that she was offered the seat by the city’s administration but declined because she thought Belfiore should get it.
“He was on the board for this whole investigation [into Washington] and would have better input than I would,” said Dortch.
Council votes
Councilman Christopher Campos, who sits on the Housing Authority board and has been an ally of Belfiore, said Belfiore is the best choice for the seat.
“We should listen to who the residents want on the board,” he said. “He is someone who will protect the best interests of the residents of the Housing Authority.”
Councilman Michael Russo, who voted for the appointment, did ask that Belfiore try to work out a cooperative effort with HUD in the future. “Remember that the Hoboken Housing Authority still has to answer to HUD,” said Russo.
After the final vote was taken, Belfiore, who was standing in the back of the room, commented to the crowd about his excitement and anxiety about the task of digging the HHA out of a $3.6 million deficit.
“I don’t think anyone ever fought so hard to get back on the Titanic,” said Belfiore.