SPHA Announces End of Public Records Investigation

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – State Attorney Bernie McCabe’s office has notified the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) that it found no wrongdoing by SPHA during its investigation of the Pinellas County Housing Authority’s (PCHA) claim that SPHA violated the state public records law. PCHA’s complaint pertained to the 17,000+ page public records request made to SPHA in September. The state attorney’s investigation is now concluded, and their file closed.

SPHA’s attorney, Richard A. Harrison of Allen Dell, P.A., said, “We were confident that the state attorney’s office would find that SPHA acted reasonably and appropriately in its handling of this matter.”

Attorney General Bill McCollum’s office also has informed the SPHA that it would not be taking any action regarding the PCHA complaint.

Chairman of the SPHA Board of Commissioners Arnett Smith said, “SPHA is committed to clean and transparent operations, in full compliance of Florida’s public records laws. We hope that the decisions of the State Attorney’s and the Attorney General’s offices will put this matter to rest, so that we can focus on our mission of service to our residents.”

About St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA):

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) is a public body corporate that has a 70‐year history of developing and administering affordable housing programs in the city of St. Petersburg. Consistently scored as a “High Performer” on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assessments, SPHA provides housing assistance to more than 3,400 families residing in St. Petersburg. The authority has received national awards and recognition for its innovative programs, including the Economies of Scale program, the Jordan Park HOPE VI redevelopment program, the
Section 3 program and the Fraud Recovery program. More information about the authority’s programs and services can be found at www.stpeteha.org.