A city commissioner wants an independent investigation into complaints about the Lakeland Housing Authority.
Former LHA employees and community members have spoken at public meetings and bombarded officials with emails over the past few months alleging:
- Favoritism in housing placements and hiring practices
- Nepotism
- Retaliation against residents and employees who complain, including 60-day “nonrenewal of lease” notices
- Manipulation of records related to income qualifications and federal Family Self-Sufficiency funds
- Delayed property maintenance and repairs
- Inadequate oversight by the board of directors
LHA Director Ben Stevenson has strenuously denied the allegations, calling them “false and misleading” and describing the campaign as a “revenge tour” prompted by the firing of an ineffective employee.
The LHA has won many awards since Stevenson took the helm in 2012.
A call to take action
To settle the matter, City Commissioner Guy LaLonde, Jr. announced Tuesday that he sent a detailed letter to the LHA’s board members on Friday asking for an independent third-party audit.
“This request is not about accusation, but about restoration,” LaLonde told LkldNow. “The Lakeland Housing Authority has served many families over the years, and that work deserves recognition. At the same time, consistent concerns raised by residents and employees make it clear that transparency and accountability are vital to restoring public trust.”
The city does not manage the Lakeland Housing Authority. However, the mayor appoints members of its board and the commission confirms them. The commission also has the power to remove board members.
Stevenson could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. However, in an Aug. 4 letter responding to community activist Harlem Turner, he wrote: “I welcome any fair and impartial investigation or a review of LHA’s performance during any time period of my tenure here.”
In an Aug. 14 email sent to Turner and three others, Stevenson said some of the records community members were requesting do not exist, and it would cost $10,000 for the Lakeland Housing Authority to provide copies of waitlists and “skip justifications” from 2018 to present.
'We're pleading for help'
Eight people discussed the LHA during an often-emotional public comment portion of the City Commission meeting on Tuesday morning.
“We are pleading for help,” said Naquaisha Coward, 34, a mother of four girls.
“People are afraid. They’re terrified due to retaliation,” Coward said. “The people in our community are ready to give their testimonies and speak out about what they’re experiencing, but they need reassurance … that their funding won’t be lost and they’ll still have a roof over their heads.”
Tareva Thomas, 39, a mother of three, said she was targeted after complaining about the LHA complex where she lived from 2019 to 2024.
“They put a 60-day notice on my account saying that they didn’t want to renew my lease,” she said.
Thomas said “by the grace of God” she managed to come up with $2,500 to move into another place, but it has been a struggle to pay her utility bills and the rent.
“I have to deal with my kids being in the dark every month,” she said, fighting back tears. “And right now I’m dealing with my water being cut off. It’s just a lot.”
“If y’all evict me, where are me and my kids supposed to go?” Thomas asked.
One speaker, Larry Mitchell, founder of New Life Outreach Ministry, defended the organization.
“I believe the individuals that have come forth, they’re hurting. They wouldn’t be here. They wouldn’t be fighting as hard as they are, going to housing authority meetings and coming here and exhausting just about every remedy that they may have,” Mitchell said.
But he said, “I know for a fact that this housing authority has been recognized as one of the best housing authorities in the United States, and there has not been any findings whatsoever in the last five years. … You should be proud of the housing authority that we have here in Lakeland.”
Commissioners vow to get answers
Several members of the commission lauded the speakers for their courage and assured them that their concerns were heard.
“We do not have any magical powers. We do not have direct oversight over the LHA,” Commissioner Stephanie Madden said. “But we are going to put pressure on the board members that the mayor appoints.”
Madden said the housing authority deserves credit for the many things it does well, but there may also be things it needs to work on.
Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley complimented the speakers for their bravery.
“We hear you, and we see you,” she said. “Bravery shows up when it’s really, really hard, and I really appreciate you showing your heart and speaking so eloquently about your struggle. … I’m proud of the LHA and the stuff that they’ve been able to do. They’ve done a lot of good, but we have to help everyone.”
Mayor Bill Mutz reiterated several times that the city’s power is limited, and it does not have direct oversight over the housing authority. However, the city will do all that it can.
“If there weren’t some legitimacy to this, we wouldn’t have so many voices saying things,” Mutz said. “Requesting an independent review of this is really where we can go, and that’s what we are advocating for.”
Cindy Glover is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
