Past and present residents at Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) properties are continuing to speak out against years of neglect and unsafe living conditions at their homes.
Chronic mold and cockroach infestations, ignored maintenance tickets and denied rehousing requests are just some of the many grievances ARHA tenants described in conversations to ALXnow this month and during a protest last Wednesday.
The former CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority is now suing the organization for millions of dollars in damages, according to paperwork filed yesterday (Thursday) in the Alexandria Circuit Court.
ARHA fired Erik Johnson in September after it was revealed that he and his family were living in an Old Town ARHA property. In the new filing, Johnson alleges that ARHA facilitated his move into the property and was trying to protect itself by pleading ignorance when it sent ALXnow a statement claiming it was unaware he lived there.
Alexandria City Council appointed six new commissioners to the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority board during a special meeting on Wednesday night, one day after eight of nine board members resigned under pressure from city leaders.
The emergency appointments aim to restore the functioning of ARHA’s governing board, which oversees more than 1,100 public housing units and serves over 2,700 residents through various programs.
