PHA residents weigh in on Carl Greene’s future

Seniors at the James Weldon Johnson Homes in North Philadelphia have varied opinions about the head of Philadelphia’s Housing Authority. Greene is on indefinite leave.

Residents of Philadelphia Housing Authority homes are speaking out about the agency’s Executive Director Carl Greene – who is on indefinite leave while an investigation is conducted into allegations of sexual harassment and other issues.

Ethelle Anderson is standing in front of her place in the James Weldon Johnson Homes in North Philadelphia. She’s lived here for more than twenty-five years and knows a lot about life here, but she says she hasn’t followed the Greene scandal closely.

“But I know so far he did us pretty good. I don’t know what else he did. Cause see I never been in the meetings when he was talking. See cause they never had him down here to hear you know what was goin on. The only thing I can know is hearsay and that’s bad, that’s bad.”

Inside the community center, Jules Steele sits at a table with other residents. She says she’s troubled by the sexual harassment allegations, and she doesn’t believe Greene should keep his job.

“Cause if it was anybody else they wouldn’t even be doing an investigation.”

Sitting nearby, a long-time resident says she doesn’t think Greene has done anything for her as a PHA resident, but her mind’s focused on a different issue: a spate of shootings and murders, including the death of her son a few weeks ago. The woman and her fellow residents say whoever is in charge of PHA needs to step up policing so residents are safer.