By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - A federal report released Thursday found several major flaws in finances, reporting, tracking and other practices at the troubled Butler County Metropolitan Housing Authority.

The agency must update its computer system and policies and turn around vacant units faster, the review says. An estimated 400 people are on a waiting list.

What's more, the authority lacks leadership and qualified staff and board members, the 35-page report states.

EXCERPTS FROM FINDINGS

BMHA does not maintain a specific log to track vacant turnaround. Day-to-day management of the leasing functions is hampered by the lack of leadership, training and communications. Some staff has had no training. With the exception of the most recent grant, BMHA's grants all have negative balances in several budget line items. This means that BMHA has expended funds on work items not included in the approved budget, and is the result of BMHA's failure to obtain HUD approval for budget revisions. An employee, the leasing director, has been on months of paid administrative leave. This is highly disruptive to operations - the staff has inadequate leadership, the agency incurs personnel expenses without getting any performance, and the situation sets a poor precedent for future personnel actions.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development review gives the agency a year to complete its recommended improvements to come out of its current "troubled" status. Only one other housing authority in the state has been declared troubled, HUD officials said Thursday.

Leonard M. "Tony" Blaine, the housing authority's executive director, says he needs more time, employees and money to meet the deadline.

He remained confident on Thursday, however, that the agency could correct the problems.

"Overall, this is doable and we will do everything they tell us to do," Mr. Blaine said. "We just need to negotiate with them the time frame and get more money. I am not discouraged that this is something we can't do. It's just making sure we have enough time."

But HUD officials said they could not give the housing authority any more time, money or people. Suggestions to shift staffing to better oversee the authority were made in the report, they noted.

The review says that Mr. Blaine, who has been executive director since June 2000, is "relatively inexperienced" for an authority of this size because he has had no prior public housing management experience. He became the executive director after serving as a commissioner on the housing authority board for about two years, according to the report.

Mr. Blaine said that was inaccurate; he served on the board about nine years, from 1990 to 1999. He has a bachelor of science degree in business administration.

The review also found that authority board members have had little or no formal training in their roles or in HUD program requirements. They are experiencing "significant differences of opinions internally" and "need to work on being a more cohesive unit."

"The board's inexperience and inability to work together leads to poor choices and allows major issues (to) go un-addressed," the report says.

Butler County Commissioners Mike Fox and Courtney Combs have publicly criticized the authority, and Mr. Combs has suggested "housecleaning" to get it back into federal compliance.

Mr. Combs called Thursday for Mr. Blaine and the board members to quickly fix the problems or resign.

"The sad thing about this is that the agency is not providing housing for the people who need it, and it's evident by the backlog that they have," Mr. Combs said.

"We have little authority over them, but I believe the commissioners must take some positive action to ensure we can get this agency turned around and providing for those who need the housing."

The federal review, conducted in November, was prompted by the agency's low score on a federal performance evaluation, as well as complaints about personnel issues, operating procedures and record keeping.

The housing authority, which provides subsidized housing to eligible households in the county, has about 3,000 people living in 1,300 units in 18 developments in Hamilton and Middletown.

The agency has an annual operating budget of $2.8 million and a capital fund of $5.9 million for building repairs and renovations - all federal money.

Residents waiting to get into one of the agency's units Thursday said they needed its help.

"I need a place to lay my head," said DeobrahWilder, 41, of Hamilton, as she filled out a housing application. "For once in my life, I need help. I have never been in this place in my life, but I'll take any assistance I can get."

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com.