Housing Authority Board Meeting Approves Policies, Addresses HUD Compliance and Evictions – October 21, 2026

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 4:00 PM in City Hall Room 301-A. The board approved consent items, two major policies, and received reports on HUD compliance, evictions, occupancy, audits, public safety, and voucher program operations.

Consent Calendar

• R13811 – Approved the minutes of the regular Board meeting held on September 16, 2026.
• R13812 – Approved the minutes of the Special Board meeting held on October 2, 2026.
• R13813 – Accepted documents shared with the Travaux Board of Directors on September 24, 2026 (including occupancy and work order reports). All consent items were approved by unanimous vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Panda Lisa Riley – A 28-year HACM tenant stated she was evicted after alleging harassment, manipulation, retaliation, and denial of grievance rights. She reported a notarized 233-page grievance and a $13,000 rent and damage charge. She claimed her rights were violated under federal law and received no help from Alderwoman Moore or HUD.
• One e-comment was also received and shared with commissioners.

Discussion Items

• R13814 – Public Listening Session – Conducted as described above; no additional speakers.
• R13803 – Reasonable Accommodation Case System Policy & Procedures Manual – Presented by Harold Inns. The manual standardizes processing of disability accommodation requests, reducing compliance risk under Fair Housing Act, Section 504, and ADA. The board approved the policy unanimously after discussion about coordination with CVR (Commissioner Moore inquired). A coordinator will be named in the coming months.
• R13815 – Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Maintenance, Inventory Control, and Procurement – Presented by Zaina. SOPs developed to meet HUD requirements and improve tracking of materials and equipment. Training for over 100 staff was conducted by AMA Consulting. Vice Chair Gotzler noted prior SOPs were unworkable; new ones were well-received. Unanimous approval.
• R13816 – Evictions Process and Quarterly Update – Gregory Cruz (Assistant City Attorney) reported that HACM had 316 eviction referrals in 2025 and 268 in the first two quarters of 2026. Majority are non-payment cases. A six-week double-filing initiative cleared 32 extra cases. Discussion included causes of arrears (unreported income, retroactive charges) and available payment plans (limited by HUD's 40% rule). Commissioner Moore requested tracking evictions linked to unreported income. Cruz committed to exploring data capture.
• R13817 – Secretary-Executive Director Report – Harold Inns summarized a HUD "Failure to Comply" letter dated October 1, 2026, citing deficiencies in maintenance procedures, inventory control, unit inspections (144 outstanding deficiencies: 2 severe, 90 moderate, 32 low), and late/missing financial statements. HACM must submit corrective information by October 31, 2026. The board discussed progress: training completed, SOPs approved, AMA Consulting engaged. Vice Chair Gotzler noted the letter reflects findings from early 2026 and that many issues have already been addressed. CFO John Larson provided an audit update: audited reports for 2022-2023 were late; 2024 audit not yet completed; forensic auditor RFP republished with bids due November 6; seven LLC audits submitted, three draft final. Staffing challenges: a controller and senior accountant expected to start in November. Zaina presented occupancy: public housing ~94%, tax credit portfolio ~80%, market rate ~91%. Emphasis on turning vacant units faster, particularly at Highland Gardens, Fulton Terrace, Beecher Court, Merrill Park. Rent collection was stable but affected by retroactive income adjustments.
• Public Safety Report – Chief Marlon Davis reported over 1,300 field activities (Sept 3–Oct 6), with proactive officer-initiated deployments up 40% and calls for service down 2.6%. Merrill Park had the highest activity due to targeted initiatives. Community engagement included pop-up events and walkthroughs with police. Commissioner Moore inquired about election preparations; Davis confirmed a deployment plan for HACM sites serving as polling places. Commissioner Elsey asked for tangible benchmarks; Davis highlighted the ratio of proactive vs. reactive calls as a key metric.
• CBR (Centralized Billing & Rent) Report – Tracy Sheffield updated on HCV/PBV operations: new staff hired, call center performance improving, late reexams reduced to 323 (lowest yet), and on-site recertification events at developments. Weekly meetings with HACM property management are improving vacancy processing. Training ongoing for HOTMA (Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act) changes effective January 1, 2027. The board will receive 2027 payment standards and utility allowances at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent agenda (R13811, R13812, R13813) unanimously.
• Approved Reasonable Accommodation Policy (R13803) unanimously.
• Approved Standard Operating Procedures (R13815) unanimously.
• Received and discussed the HUD compliance letter; HACM will submit corrective response by October 31, 2026.
• Received quarterly eviction update; staff to explore tracking evictions linked to unreported income.
• Received occupancy, audit, public safety, and CBR reports; no votes on these items.
• Meeting adjourned.