JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) is requesting nearly $90,000 to fulfill a public records request made by Action News Jax as part of an ongoing investigation into delayed payments to vendors.
Action News Jax’s Ben Becker began requesting those records more than a month ago after sources informed Becker that numerous companies working with JHA have not been paid on time.
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One example includes a local temporary staffing agency, I-Tech Resources.
An internal email obtained by Action News Jax shows that as of August, JHA owes the company more than $32,000 for invoices dating back to February.
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When asked to provide records of unpaid invoices, the Housing Authority responded with a staggering estimate:
“JHA is unable to precisely isolate responsive invoices that meet your criteria. Since January 1, 2024, JHA has processed approximately 49,000 invoices. A conservative estimate of 3 minutes per invoice (locating the invoice, reviewing and redacting it, and saving the redacted version) would result in an estimated 2,450 hours of work at a minimum of $36.50/hour for a clerical employee to accomplish.”
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That amounts to roughly $89,425. One year of work hours for a single employee is 2,080 – 40 hours per week, 52 weeks in the year.
Action News Jax has been closely following issues at the Housing Authority for over 18 months. In June, Becker reported that JHA hired Nan McKay & Associates to manage its Housing Choice Voucher program -- a company that was fined $3.7 million by the Department of Justice just last year.
Other controversies include:
- Multiple board resignations
- High turnover among CEOs
- Inspector general investigations
- Criminal charges against a former deputy CFO
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