The head of public housing in the City of Alexandria, Virginia, has been placed on probation, after the public housing agency learned he lived in one of its units this summer.
In a statement, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners said it found out Chief Executive Officer Erik Johnson was living in one the agency’s units.
Johnson was directed to leave the unit immediately, the statement said.
Now, after the mayor and city council advised it to do so, the board said Johnson has been placed on probation and it is launching an independent investigation.
“We pledge to work expeditiously, deliberately, and fairly to learn the facts, confirm appropriate accountability measures, implement any needed reforms, and to reinforce our commitment to the highest standards of governance,” the board said in a statement.
Johnson told local news site ALXNow that he temporarily moved into a public housing unit in the Old Town neighborhood in July while transitioning residences. The Washington Post also reported the news of Johnson being placed on probation.
“There is a huge waiting list for these units, for people who qualify by virtue of income,” said Carter Flemming, a former board member. “So for somebody who’s the CEO of ARHA to take one of those units offline, that could have been given to somebody who really deserves and needs the housing, it’s just not right.”
In a multipage letter to the board, shared on behalf of the Alexandria City Council, Mayor Alyia Gaskins called for an investigation into Johnson’s actions and ARHA’s finances.
Flemming said in the early 2000s, there were allegations of housing staff moving friends up the line for affordable housing units. But, actions like that “got cleaned up or stopped, if it ever happened,” she said.
“We were on a better footing, doing large redevelopment projects and building a good reputation, and this just destroyed that, basically,” Flemming said. “Because now, justifiably, the city council and all is asking a lot of questions about how this could have happened.”
The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority aims to provide affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents of Alexandria, according to its mission statement.
WTOP has reached out to Johnson for comment.
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