Sources: Mayor’s office discussed taking over troubled Jacksonville Housing Authority

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax Ben Becker has learned from sources that the mayor’s office discussed in the past few months taking over the troubled Jacksonville Housing Authority.

Sources say at least one high-level member of the mayor’s administration pitched the idea of dissolving the agency and the city absorbing its responsibilities, although there are legal questions if that is possible.

Action News Jax has reported since 2023 on numerous Jacksonville inspector general investigations, resignations, and firings at the agency, plus an ongoing audit by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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This comes as the agency just last week received a $2.3 million jobs grant from U.S. HUD for the second time in four years.

Richard Monocchio, principal deputy assistant secretary U.S. HUD, Washington D.C., presented the check at a ceremony at the Brentwood Community Center.

“I also want to congratulate JHA acting CEO Vanessa Dunn,” said a beaming Mayor Donna Deegan to the audience.

Yet, Deegan’s presence was unwelcomed by one JHA source who noted that former CEO Dwayne Alexander blamed the mayor’s office for pushing him out in January.

Becker posted on X one day before the Brentwood event, that a source told him “Mayor trying to make it look like she got this done, not JHA. Don’t know why mayor is even there, we didn’t invite her.”

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Deegan is responsible for appointing JHA board members.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office pushed back on that assertion on X, by claiming the mayor was invited to the event by HUD, and then ensued on a back and forth targeting Becker’s source.

Deegan was not at the event when Becker arrived, but the mayor’s office said in a statement there has not been any formal discussions of taking over the agency. When Becker asked if there had been informal ones, the spokesperson said a community member brought up the idea. When Becker asked who they are and when it happened, the spokesperson declined, only saying “We’re not going to comment further on an idea that we’re not considering.”

“We have concerns about how it’s been run [JHA],” Monocchio told Becker. “We are going to fix the issues that were found.”

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Becker asked if that included the city taking over the housing authority. “Is that legally possible?” asked Becker. “I’m not going to address that,” said Monocchio.

Dunn says a takeover is unlikely, despite what the mayor’s office may have discussed.

“HUD would have to sign off on that of course and because we are a special district it may actually require action from the governor as well,” said Dunn.

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