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Housing Authority Commissioner Blasts Tribune Article

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

Tampa Housing Authority commissioner Karen Peoples expressed anger about a Tampa Tribune article after a meeting Tuesday.

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By JOHN W. ALLMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 16, 2008

TAMPA - Tampa Housing Authority commissioner Karen Peoples responded angrily this morning to a Tampa Tribune report that she is being evicted for violating federal housing guidelines.

"Whoever was responsible for this article, may God be with you when the time comes," Peoples said near the end of the authority's monthly board meeting. "This was not necessary."

The authority this week began eviction proceedings against Peoples, who has been in violation since November 2007 of federal Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines that dictate the apartment size a resident can occupy.

Peoples is a single woman living in a four-bedroom apartment at C. Blythe Andrews, a north Tampa housing property. She has refused three offers to move to a one-bedroom apartment since January. The authority has more than 200 people waiting for a four-bedroom apartment at her complex, and authority President Jerome Ryans said Peoples has run out of chances.

"I'm through with it," he said this morning. "This is the last week I'm dealing with it."

Peoples, a commissioner since 1998, was appointed to the board to be a voice for housing tenants. But she has a history of not following housing rules, including two notices for nonpayment of rent and one notice for failing a housekeeping inspection last year.

Board Chairwoman Hazel Harvey said after the meeting that commissioners must follow the rules.

"We believe the rules should be enforced fairly for everybody," she said.

Board member Lansing Scriven said the board must hold itself to a higher standard.

"Our conduct should be beyond reproach," he said.

Peoples declined to speak about her eviction after the meeting, but she chided a reporter and said that today's story about her eviction was "a pack of lies."

The story outlined People's attempts to undermine housing officials who have spent months trying to help her comply with the rules.

She has made false allegations about two employees, including her former property manager at C. Blythe Andrews. In February, Peoples prompted an internal investigation of manager Sharaun McClain when she gave officials a petition outlining 15 allegations of professional and sexual misconduct by McClain.

None of the allegations were found to be true.

Peoples in March traveled to Lakeland to speak directly to McClain's husband, Scott. He said in a notarized statement to the authority that Peoples told him his wife was trying to have a baby with two maintenance workers and a resident's son.

Sharaun McClain filed a formal complaint against Peoples a day later.

"That's why I came to the meeting. Ain't nothing I'm trying to dodge," Peoples shouted today after the meeting. "The article is all about the manager and her hang-ups."

Peoples arrived 90 minutes late for the meeting and waited until the end to bring up her eviction. She said she plans to give the other six board members a written statement by mid-August.

She may no longer be on the board at that time, however.

Her eviction is expected to go before a judge in August. If evicted, Peoples would be immediately stripped of her commissioner status.

"The process has already started," Ryans said. "We send it to court. The judge has to make the final call."

Reporter John W. Allman can be reached at (813) 259-7915 or jallman@tampatrib.com.

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