[StBernard] 4 Investigates: Head of Section 8, making $100, 000, receiving vouchers?

[Westley Annis]

Lee Zurik / Eyewitness News

lzurik at wwltv.com	
NEW ORLEANS - The head of voucher programs for the Housing Authority of New
Orleans has been placed on administrative leave, after questions from WWL-TV
and others prompted the agency to look into allegations that he may have
benefited from the Section 8 housing program he administers. 


Eyewitness News' attempt on Tuesday to question Dwayne Muhammad, the HANO
director of voucher programs, was futile.  Muhammad drove off, unwilling to
give answers about a Gentilly house and the program he runs at HANO. 

WWL's investigation began weeks ago, as Eyewitness News tracked Muhammad at
a Gentilly property, as he left for work one morning.  A WWL crew found his
car parked there several days and nights at a time. 

Documents show the house at 4739 Western St. is currently receiving a
Section 8 voucher. That is the program Muhammad is in charge of at HANO. 

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the
Section 8 voucher helps "very low income households," with the government
paying a large sum of the rent to the landlord and the Section 8 tenant
paying a small portion of the rent. 


According to HANO, Muhammad, as the head of all voucher programs, including
Section 8 housing, earns an annual salary of $100,000. 

"On his income, I wouldn't think he would qualify for Section 8," said Wayne
Woods, general legal counsel for HANO. 

Eyewitness News brought its findings to HANO Tuesday.  The agency
immediately placed Muhammad on paid administrative leave.  According to the
state civil service commission, Muhammad has been working at HANO since
January 2002. 

"What he's telling me is that he's paying rent to his landlord just like any
other landlord or any other tenant would pay," Woods said.  "He's continued
to pay that rent from the first day he moved in to that unit, in January of
this year." 


But that raises even more questions about Muhammad's residency at the
address.  The secretary of state said one person, Rachelle Jones, is
currently registered to vote at 4739 Western St. 

"I know a Rachelle. I know Dwayne's wife is Rachelle," Woods said. 

Secretary of State Jay Dardenne's office said Rachelle Jones registered to
vote at that address in October 2008, three months before Muhammad told HANO
he moved into the house. 

On Wednesday, HANO legal counsel Wayne Woods said Muhammad had told him on
Tuesday that he paid rent to the landlord and would provide documentation
Wednesday morning.  As of close of business Wednesday, Muhammad had not
provided that information. 

HANO did confirm that since Muhammad moved in payments of almost $1,400 per
month were made by HANO to the landlord - money that came from the Section 8
program which Muhammad ran. 

"These are all public and federal dollars," Woods said.  "If any landlords
have been paid money they haven't been paid, HANO will go after that money."


The Orleans Parish Assessor lists the owner of the Western Street home as
Sadat Spencer.  HANO says Spencer currently has about 45 other Section 8
properties. 

WWL called the landlord or owner of the Western Street property, and after a
reporter identified himself and said why he was calling, the owner hung up
the phone. 

Spencer's Western Street house has been in the Section 8 program for quite
some time.  According to a 2007 HANO document, an investigator questioned
the person listed as the tenant of that property. The document shows that
"Muhammad came up and stated that he (was) aware of the tenant's case ...
and he instructed the writer or investigator to sign the Section 8 contract
and process it for payment." 

HANO has started a preliminary investigation and expects to refer their
findings to the HUD inspector general. 


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And they wonder why we don't want any of this crap in St. Bernard?




JY