Housing Authority Called ‘Largest Slumlord’ in Atlantic City, NJ

We are revisiting this important topic, because people’s lives have been dramatically affected for the worse in Atlantic City, New Jersey by the gross negligence exhibited by the local government.

This includes both the Mayor of Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

Back on Friday, February 16, 2024, I interviewed the former Executive Director of the Atlantic City Housing Authority. It was wide-ranging and Matt Doherty did not hold back.

Dramatically, Doherty described the former agency that he led as “The Largest Slumlord in Atlantic City.”

Just look at the featured photo above. The water that you see on the ground is sewer water.

Residents of The Stanley Holmes Village Apartments have lived for years without heat, hot water and in many cases, without proper cooking facilities.

Their homes are infested with rats and insects.

In our interview, Doherty described a culture of abusive, no bid contracts.

For example, Doherty outlined that $ 7.4 million in no bid contracts were awarded by the Atlantic City Housing Authority Board between November, 2022 and June, 2023.

Doherty put a stop to these fundamentally bad business practices upon becoming the Executive Director of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

Doherty also warned that the Atlantic City Housing Authority Board is preparing to award a purchasing contract that last year was in the amount of $ 406,000.

While Doherty was at the Atlantic City Housing Authority, there was an in-house purchasing agent that made a little more than $100,000 per year.

However, the Atlantic City Housing Authority Board did not allow their own purchasing agent to handle the purchasing requisition duties.

Instead, they paid an outside contractor, $ 406,000 for one year of services. All of this work could have been handled in house

Here is a photo of a section of the Stanley Holmes Village Apartments.

The water that you see collecting in the bottom left side of the above photo is actual sewer water.

Atlantic City residents of the Stanley Holmes Village Apartments have been living without heat, hot water and among rodents, insects and other contaminants for more than two years.

Atlantic City Councilman George Tibbitt participated with Doherty in our on-air interview.

Tibbitt was highly critical of the 5 current members of the Atlantic City Council who will not allow public hearings to be conducted to address the numerous problems at the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

Atlantic City Council Members George Tibbitt, La Toya Dunston, Jesse Kurtz and Bruce Weekes want to hold City Council public hearings to assist the underserved residents of the Stanley Holmes Village Apartments.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Aaron "Sporty" Randolph, who is the current City Council President; Kaleem Shabazz, City Council Vice President; Stephanie Marshall, Muhammad “Anjum” Zia & George "Animal" Crouch are opposed

EDITOR'S NOTE: Referring to Councilman Crouch above as "Animal" is not a slight. For many years, Crouch has regularly used "Animal" as his nickname, as a term of affection.

Doherty also confirmed that a lawsuit filed by the South Jersey Legal Foundation vs. The Atlantic City Housing Authority has more than 100 Plaintiffs.

Doherty said, “It’s time to open up all of the (Atlantic City Housing Authority) books, warts and all … And there are a lot of warts,” said Doherty.

United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew has been a champion for these underserved residents of Atlantic City.

Additionally, I am pleased to report that the new Secretary of The United States Department of Housing & Urban Development has demonstrated a new sense of urgency to fix the various public housing problems in Atlantic City.

SOURCES: Matt Doherty & George Tibbitt.