Author Archive

Molly Parker

Management

Trump Called Baltimore 'Vermin Infested' While the Federal Government Fails to Clean Up Rodents in Subsidized Housing

Baltimore’s public housing is among the most dilapidated and dangerous in the country — nearly half of complexes failed inspection — and Trump just spent a week attacking the city on Twitter.

Management

HUD’s Inspection System Gets a Poor Grade in Congressional Watchdog’s Report

The Government Accountability Office’s findings mirror those of an investigation by The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica, which documented numerous cases in which substandard housing complexes received passing — and even glowing — scores from HUD.

Management

HUD Plans to Reduce Notice Given Before Inspections, but Advocates Are Unimpressed

A plan recently announced by the agency doesn’t address its much-maligned scoring system, despite recommendations drafted in 2016 by senior department officials.

Management

HUD’s System for Processing Public Records Requests Died During the Shutdown

The contract for the agency’s electronic system for managing FOIA requests lapsed in early January and hasn’t been renewed. Delays are mounting.

Management

What a ProPublica Reporter Learned Covering HUD: Oversight Failures Are Symptoms of Deeper Dysfunction

A goal this year was to explore HUD’s failure to enforce legal standards for decent, safe, sanitary housing. What started as a simple premise brought to light greater challenges: Years of congressional cuts have left the agency in a state of chaos as communities suffer.

Management

How a Consultant Said He Gamed HUD Inspections: Sweep Problems Behind a Wall

A housing consultant was recorded bragging about how he helped properties pass HUD inspections, likening it to a “chess game manipulation strategy.”

Management

'Pretty Much a Failure': HUD Inspections Pass Dangerous Apartments Filled With Rats, Roaches and Toxic Mold

The system for inspecting federally subsidized properties is failing low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities and undermining the agency’s oversight, The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica have found.