MILWAUKEE — The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee’s (HACM) controversial leader, Willie Hines announced plans for retirement on Friday.
Hines has been the Housing Authroity’s top executive since 2021 and faced scrutiny from HACM residents complaining of deplorable living conditions over the past year. Complaints have ranged from mold, rats and cockroaches to gun violence and a class-action lawsuit over bed bugs.
Advocacy coalition Common Ground has called for Hines to be removed from his post. They worked with the Milwaukee Common Council to confirm four new members of the HACM Board of Commissioners, including new oversight from a consultant, last month.
“Today is a momentous day for Milwaukee,” Kevin Solomon, Associate Organizer for Common Ground said in a statement. “David beat Goliath. Thousands of low-income housing residents and Common Ground banded together for over two years to challenge entrenched and powerful interests, and fight for better living conditions.”
The City of Milwaukee mayor’s office has indicated Hines was not pressured to leave and made the decision on his own.
Before taking on the role of executive director, Hines joined HACM as associate director in 2015. Prior to that he was president of the Milwaukee Common Council for ten years and had served on the HACM Board of Commissioners since 1998.
HACM oversees 5,200 rental homes inlcuding Section 8 housing that serve over 15,000 residents. In 2022 HACM was subject to an audit that found its Section 8 office at risk of fraud with $3 million in financial discrepanices.
“The next step is for the HACM Board to conduct a national search for a new, competent, service-oriented director to clean up the mess,” Jennifer O’Hear, Common Ground’s Lead Organizer said in a statment.
The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will name Hines’ successor.
