Richmond mayor wants to scrap city’s public Housing Authority

Richmond Mayor Tom Butt is proposing the dismantling of the city’s Housing Authority, saying that diminishing funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development make the agency’s continued operations untenable.

Butt said dissolving the Richmond Housing Authority would not eliminate existing public housing, but would essentially divorce the city from financial responsibility over the subsidized homes. He said the city has spent millions to maintain the properties because HUD has not provided its fair share for upkeep.

In calling for the authority’s elimination Friday, Butt requested that the authority first investigate the inadequacy of its federal funding levels.