Philadelphia Housing Authority Forced To Step Aside For HUD

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will take on the responsibilities of the Philadelphia agency for at least one year, after revelations of profligate spending led to the termination of the former Executive Director.

1 minute read

March 7, 2011, 11:00 AM PST

By Victor Negrete


From Philly.com:

"The Philadelphia agency has been in a state of upheaval since the abrupt termination of Executive Director Carl R. Greene last September ...

The board fired Greene after learning that PHA had secretly settled for $648,000 three sexual-harassment complaints against him.

Since then, there have been revelations of $38.3 million in legal expenditures since 2007; elaborate events with belly dancers; and lavish spending on pet projects, such as a $2.8 million pavilion with pillars and planters sheathed in a special red-speckled granite."

A well-known former Philadelphia official, Estelle Richman- now Chief Operating Officer for HUD, will assume control of the PHA.

Saturday, March 5, 2011 in The Philadelphia Inquirer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

5 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

7 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine