PHA Head Put On Leave During Probe

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Housing Authority has placed its highly paid leader, Carl Greene, on paid leave as it investigates his activities. HUD has ordered a full audit of the PHA.

The PHA board announced that decision Thursday afternoon and said an independent group will investigate the agency. The board will also require sexual harassment training for employees and reviews other policies.

Former Mayor and board member John Street addressed the board and here is a sample of what he has to say, "As much as we love the work that the Executive Director did, he could have built a billion houses, but if he sexually harassed one woman on this staff he's gone." 

Fox 29's Sharon Crowley also spoke to Cliff Haines who is the attorney for Carl Greene.  He told Sharon that Mr. Greene is receiving medical treatment outside of Pennsylvania.  He did not disclose the nature of that treatment.  Haines has not reviewed any of the sexual harassment accusations.   

The furor over the Philadelphia Housing Authority also may have national political implications if Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has his way.

Read Grassley's Letter | Read Letter To Street

The GOP senator has asked the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency to turn over data on similar public-housing agencies across the country, to make sure they properly spent stimulus funds.

In a letter obtained by MyFoxPhilly, Sen. Grassley has asked HUD Secretary Sean Donovan for an accounting of money given to all public housing authorities, after news broke about problems with Philadelphia's PHA.

MyFoxPhilly has also obtained a letter from HUD to local PHA board chairman John Street, the former mayor of Philadelphia. HUD told Street a team of auditors is coming to Philadelphia to look over the PHA's books.

HUD also told Street it didn't want any changes to senior PHA management during the 60-day audit process.

"I write to you today because I remain concerned about waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars being given to PHAs that have a track record of these problems, and I am therefore contacting you with additional questions regarding the program funding," Grassley says.

Sen. Grassley told HUD that reports in the Philadelphia media about PHA head Carl Greene's compensation and the agency's spending on legal fees related to Greene raised his concerns.

"Even more alarming, this Executive Director is responsible for spending $127 million in Stimulus funds for 1,200 housing units," Grassley said about Greene.

Grassley wants all salary, bonus and compensation data for the heads of the nation's 20 largest PHAs, along with similar data for troubled PHAs, by September 10th.

On Thursday, Philadelphia's PHA was considering Greene's future and $350,000-a-year job at a closed-door meeting.

Greene had earned kudos for transforming the city's moribund public housing agency. But he dropped out of sight after reports of financial trouble and sexual harassment claims surfaced this month.

All told, agency lawyers have quietly settled at least four sexual-harassment complaints involving Greene since 2005.

Greene denies the latest harassment allegation and blames his mortgage mess on an IRS lien.

Housing board member and former Mayor John Street says Greene "no longer has a presumption of fitness for the job."

Greene had taken a three week vacation from his $300,000 salaried position to deal with personal issues.

Meanwhile, the Mayor, the Governor and the PHA Board have expressed concern about his ability to continue to lead the PHA.

In fact, Mayor Michael Nutter is calling for a full audit of the PHA and an investigation by HUD.