PHA director emerges, apologizes

The Executive Director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority had not spoken with media since news of a possible foreclosure and a lien on his home emerged last week.

A contrite Carl Greene emerged from seclusion today to address concerns surrounding his personal finances and legal problems.  The Executive Director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority had not spoken with media since news of a possible foreclosure and a lien on his home emerged last week.

Greene says he has nothing to hide.  Despite widespread conjecture about the reasons for his failure to pay his mortgage – which nearly resulted in foreclosure – Greene says he’s simply a workaholic who didn’t pay enough attention to his personal matters.

“The personal issues about my mortgage was more embarassing and humiliating to me and the cause of great stress,” Greene said in an interview with WHYY, “and basically, I needed down time to sort of wrap my mind around the situation that I was dealing with.”

Greene did deal with the situation, wiring the money he owed on his mortgage to the bank.  He says he’s paid up through October.

As for a pending leave of absence – which a PHA spokesman said could be 3 to 4 weeks – Greene says he’s no longer sure he’ll take it.  He says he’s trying to confront the problems and allegations – including a recent lawsuit claiming sexual misconduct on Greene’s part – as a way to restore the public trust in him and his agency.

PHA’s board of directors is scheduled to meet next week to discuss Greene’s situation.