HICKORY, N.C. — City leaders are one step closer to abolishing the Hickory Public Housing Authority, which means changing its administration.
The agency has come under fire after allegations that officials sexually harassed tenants, misspent taxpayer money and failed to properly oversee finances.
Mayor Rudy Wright referred to it as a merger.
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They passed the motion Tuesday night to change the agency's administration and will officially vote on the motion at their next meeting on Jan. 19.
The public attended the packed meeting and spoke about the issue from both sides of the debate.
The City Council doesn't control the Housing Authority's decisions but it is responsible for overseeing its board members.
This move made by the council does not abolish housing or displace tenants, it just changes the administration.
Wright said the rift between the Housing Authority, HUD and some of the community has grown too large, and something dramatic needs to be done.
“I think with the changes going on in the country today with public housing, I think we need to move quickly, and the quickest way to do that is to turn it over to another group,” he said.
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