The Hoboken Housing Authority Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to begin a search for a new executive director, after years of rumors that they would like to move the agency’s politically connected deputy director to the top spot.
The HHA – which oversees Hoboken’s 1,353 units of subsidized public housing on the west side of town – is currently run by Interim Executive Director Robert DiVincent, who took the helm five years ago in order to pull the agency out of financial trouble.
However, DiVincent, who was chosen for his experience, also works for the housing authorities in Weehawken and West New York at the same time.
The HHA answers to the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. It is also overseen by a seven-member unpaid Board of Commissioners, who are largely local political appointees.
The job search will be conducted by HHA Board chairman Jean Rodriguez and the Personnel Department of the Housing Authority, in conjunction with the rest of the board.
Deputy Director Carmelo Garcia, who also serves on the city’s Board of Education, said he will “absolutely” submit his name as a candidate, but will keep himself removed from the selection process.
DiVincent said his leadership was never meant to be permanent, so the move came as no surprise. In fact, he recommended it. He said public housing the size of Hoboken’s should have a dedicated director.
DiVincent was given a five-year contract through an inter-local agreement with the West New York Housing Authority that expired this past October. He has been working on a month-to-month basis since then.
The previous director, E. Troy Washington, was accused of mismanagement, but was never charged with any specific wrongdoing. DiVincent was hired to temporarily fill the position. There are very few qualified directors in the state, DiVincent said, and many times, towns share services.
DiVincent said, “We have completed the original task we set out to do. West New York Housing Authority was contracted…to assist Hoboken Housing Authority to get out the financial situation it was in. We don’t have to rehash all that, but we came in and we are now very sound fiscally.”
In 2007, Garcia left his position as city director of Health and Human Services when he was hired as deputy director. The board said they selected him after in a national selection process that brought in hundreds of candidates.
Now the board will embark on another search, but some believe it will turn up the same results.
At the time he was hired in 2007, Garcia said he wanted to improve conditions at the projects and remove the drug culture. He has received high marks from some of his colleagues.
Job opening
Over the next few weeks, the board will advertise for the position and begin a review of applications.
DiVincent will stay on as a consultant for one year once the new director is selected.
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DiVincent will stay on as a consultant for one year once the new director is selected.
“I would love to see a full-time director on board here, because this housing authority deserves it,” DiVincent said.
In the meantime, he said he will continue to do the work that he was hired to do, including using money made available through the federal stimulus package to upgrade 56 empty apartments.
“There will be a concentrated effort to get that moving,” he said.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.