This past week, the Hudson Reporter broke stories on two new scandals that involve town officials potentially taking advantage of the federally subsidized low-income housing projects, which use your tax dollars to stabilize the poor. This came just a few months we published an in-depth piece pointing out all the past scandals that have occurred in local public housing in Hoboken, Jersey City, and other towns.
The two possible new scandals this past week were: One in Guttenberg, in which the director of the housing and two employees who live in the public housing apparently bought a $770,000 house together last year, and one in Hoboken, in which a new housing commissioner is being accused of allegedly taking $200 to move a tenant up on the wait list! (Note that these are all just allegations.)
Last December, we ran Assata Wright’s investigative story pointing out at least five scandals (some including arrests) that have occurred in the last 10 years in housing authorities in Hoboken, Jersey City, and other local towns.
Public housing authorities were started in the late 1930s to help low-income families. However, as the federal government becomes less involved and political appointees and hires gain oversight, they have become rife for corruption and political threats.
When will these agencies be free of scandals? Comment below and tell us what you think!
Meanwhile, here is Tricia Tirella’s exclusive story on the questions raised in Guttenberg last week:
And here is Assata Wright’s investigative piece from this past December with everything you wanted to know about public housing in New Jersey and all the questions that have come up in Hoboken, Jersey City, North Bergen, and elsewhere: