Advocates for the vulnerable find Gahan's public housing putsch "distressing." Interim director Duggins responds by crushing a beer can on his forehead.

"I'm late for the Redevelopment meeting."

In a letter to the editor of the News and Tribune, trained professionals take issue with Jeff Gahan's public housing takeover. A second letter appears, too, but since it's mine, the letter will be incorporated into either a column or later post.

My letter was written prior to Gahan's classless decapitation of Bob Lane, and my guess is this one was, too.

Until then, a bit of inadvertent humor, courtesy of recent (aren't they all?) NAHA board appointee Bob "Tinned Sardine" Norwood.

It didn't stop the scentless sycophant from voting, did it?

New Albany's public housing plan distressing

We were deeply distressed when the Board of the New Albany Housing Authority (NAHA) approved the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of New Albany (CONA) and (NAHA). Prior to the recent Board of NAHA meeting we expressed our concerns, in writing, to Mayor Gahan, David Duggins (Director of Economic Development and Redevelopment), the members of the New Albany City Council, and members of the NAHA Board. Specifically, we raised the following concerns:

The proposal to eliminate public housing in CONA contains no details of steps that will be taken to ensure that NAHA residents' lives will not be disrupted.

The proposal contains no details of steps that will be taken to ensure that the supply of affordable (lower-income) housing in New Albany will not be diminished.

While the MOU proposes that vouchers could be used to relocate current NAHA residents, the document provides no evidence that an adequate supply of vouchers exists, or that there is an adequate supply of market rental housing units in New Albany that will accept such vouchers.

It is unclear whether CONA and NAHA are, in fact, working collegially despite a claim of collaboration in CONA’s strategic plan.

In its present composition, the NAHA Board does not include any resident representatives.