karen peoples closer to eviction
The Tampa Housing Authority can now move to evict Karen Peoples. For those of you who have not been following this story, I recommend you read the original Tribune article. But here’s the short version:
The Tampa Housing Authority (THA) is responsible for about 8,500 residents living in sixteen public housing properties around the City of Tampa, and their annual budget is nearly $80 million.
The THA Board of Commissioners sets policy for THA, and board members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by City Council.
Karen Peoples moved into the C. Blythe Andrews public housing project in 1984, and has served as the resident appointee to the THA Board of Commissioners since 1998.
In May 2006, Mayor Iorio appointed Peoples to another four year term on the board, her third. Peoples also signed a new lease on her four-bedroom apartment at C. Blythe Andrews. At the time, she had four other people living with her, including two daughters and two grandchildren.
Her daughters and grandkids moved out in May 2007, and she no longer qualified for a 4-bedroom apartment. By HUD rules, she had 10 days to notify THA of the new living arrangements, so they could find a smaller place. But she did not tell them that.
THA found out she was living alone in August 2007, but did not do anything about it until January 2008. Three times they offered her a one-bedroom at three other complexes, yet she refused. It seems she desperately wanted to keep her 4 bedroom apartment. Because from here, it just gets downright screwy.
In February 2008, Peoples (and 23 other residents) accused C. Blythe Andrews property manager Sharaun McClain of professional and sexual misconduct, including an allegation that McClain had made unwanted sexual advances toward apartment staff and a resident’s son. THA’s law firm later ruled there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims, and some residents said they were coerced into signing the complaint.
In March, Peoples allegedly told McClain’s husband, that his wife was trying to “have a baby with two maintenance men and a resident’s son.”
In June, Peoples accused housing vice president Leroy Moore of acting inappropriately and treating her with disrespect during a meeting June 5 - the last of three attempts to relocate her to a new apartment.
None of the allegations were substantiated.
In July 2008, the Tampa Housing Authority began eviction proceedings against Peoples, and she complained about Tribune coverage of the event.
Now Peoples is crying as she realizes that she will have to move, and will be kicked off the board.
Other Peoples:
- Karen Peoples is on the Tampa Housing Authority (THA) Board of Commissioners. She is also listed on the board of the Corporation to Develop Communities (CDC) of Tampa, Inc. On that board, she claims her title is “Funeral Director” of the Tampa Housing Authority Commission Board. Then again, the CDC site is copyright 2004, so who knows?
- In 2003, Mayor Pam Iorio suggested that Peoples (and other THA board members) need to actually show up to the THA board meetings.
- In May 2007, Peoples criticized housing residents for complaining to the board about bad living conditions. She also complained about having to read a 25 page report in preparation for a board meeting.
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September 25th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Doesn’t surprise me anything Irio does, look at her new $836 million budget that City Council members approved Wednesday… Some body better tell those fruit cakes, there’s a recession going on……Oh well this is Tampa, business as usual….cowtown