The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority will convene a special board meeting this morning at 8 a.m. to discuss a personnel matter in executive session, one day after Mayor Alyia Gaskins sent a letter on behalf of City Council demanding a third-party investigation into CEO Erik Johnson’s residency in public housing.
In a four-page letter sent Tuesday to ARHA Board Chair Anitra Androh, Gaskins called for an independent investigation into three specific areas: Johnson’s actions, ARHA’s compliance with all applicable laws related to properties the authority owns and manages, and ARHA’s finances, including an independent financial audit.
“Mr. Johnson’s actions raise significant questions about governance and accountability at ARHA,” Gaskins wrote on behalf of City Council. “His actions also threaten to undermine public confidence in ARHA at a time when the need to ensure that all Alexandrians have access to safe and affordable housing is at an all-time high.”
The letter includes multiple Freedom of Information Act requests and demands responses by the close of business Sept. 3.
The special meeting was called Monday and will be held virtually only via Zoom, according to a public notice posted on the city’s calendar system. The session is scheduled to run until 10 a.m.
The meeting comes after ARHA canceled its regularly scheduled board meeting that was set for Monday evening at 7 p.m.
The controversy began when Johnson temporarily lived in a public housing unit on Cook Street in July. The ARHA Board of Commissioners released a statement last week saying Johnson “moved into an ARHA property without required approvals or knowledge by the Board” and ordered him to “vacate the property immediately.”
City Council member John Taylor Chapman initially called for an investigation into the matter, saying, “We are calling for an immediate investigation into how and why the CEO of ARHA took a unit away from the public for his own use.”
Following the board meeting, Chapman told ALXnow, “I appreciate that the board called an emergency meeting to take action. I am interested in the outcome of the investigation, the next steps and how we repair the short and long-term trust between ARHA and the community”.
In her letter, Gaskins outlined the city’s authority over ARHA, noting that while the housing authority is independent, it was established by city ordinance and the City Council has both appointment and removal authority for board members.
The City Council’s FOIA requests seek Johnson’s employment contract, all correspondence related to employee occupancy of ARHA units, records of any modifications to Johnson’s unit, and communications between ARHA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding the matter.
Gaskins also posed 13 detailed questions about Johnson’s residency, including who approved it, whether he paid market rent or received subsidies, if he was income-qualified for the unit, and whether maintenance work was performed on the property.
According to HUD, it is a conflict of interest for a public housing agency director to live on a property they manage. Johnson was hired a year ago and started work in September 2024.
The recent controversy follows tenant protests last week over poor conditions and delayed repairs at ARHA properties.
