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County Puts Off Vote On Controversial Housing Funds

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By JOHN W. ALLMAN

jallman@tampatrib.com

Published: January 21, 2009

TAMPA - A vote by the Hillsborough County Commission to award $50,000 to an embattled Tampa nonprofit agency has been postponed until Feb. 4.

Mike Merrill, assistant county administrator, said today that officials have not yet finished a review of the Housing and Education Alliance's finances, as requested this month by commissioners.

Merrill also is looking at the nonprofit agency's application to receive federal HOME Investment Partnership funds. The agency, run by Sylvia Alvarez, was designated last year as a federal Community Housing Development Organization, meaning it can develop affordable housing locally.

"I just feel I need to go through and look through the entire file and familiarize myself with everything," Merrill said.

He said he did not look at the application prior to recommending Jan. 7 that the commission approve the funds.

In 2006, Alvarez was accused of steering low-income homeowners from an education class taught by her agency to a mortgage company that she and her fiancé have taken turns operating.

Alvarez denied wrongdoing, and county officials dismissed the charges, saying they couldn't find anyone who had been steered. The Tampa Tribune this week reported on a woman who bought a house from Alvarez's agency who said she was steered from the class to the mortgage company by one of Alvarez's employees.

At least one commissioner, Rose Ferlita, said she still plans to vote "no'' in February.

"My position is the same," Ferlita said today. "I haven't seen an abundance of information that tells me she's clean as a whistle."

Reporter John W. Allman can be reached at (813) 259-7915.

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