Housing authority director faces funding challenge

Dan Kulin

Monday, Jan. 20, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.

The greatest challenges facing the new executive director of the Las Vegas Housing Authority will have less to do with the agency's troubled past and more with anticipated trouble in the future.

Parviz Ghadiri will have to lead the agency through tight financial times this year if the federal government cuts funding for housing authorities.

The city housing authority commissioners voted 5-0 Friday to offer Ghadiri the job of executive director. Ghadiri has been acting executive director since July, moving into the position after Frederick Brown's death.

In recent weeks U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials have told housing authorities nationwide they might see a 10 or 30 percent cut in funding for public housing.

Ghadiri said he is expecting the $11 million in federal funds the city authority receives for public housing to be cut by $1.1 million or $3.3 million.

Commission Chairman Michael McDonald, who is also a Las Vegas city councilman, said Ghadiri must look for ways to maintain financial stability.

Ghadiri said to save money he plans to change how service staff such as plumbers and electricians work within the agency.

Under his plan workers would be based at various locations and responsible for all the work that needs to be done at their sites, he said. Currently those workers are dispatched to deal with problems at various sites.

Ghadiri also said he is looking into taking advantage of resignations and retirements to reduce staff without layoffs.

Last week a hiring freeze was put in place in the authority's public housing division, which oversees 2,200 apartments, he said.

"The last thing I'm going to do is cut services or lay off staff," Ghadiri said.

Ghadiri said he's comfortable looking for ways to trim the housing authority's $65 million budget because he was responsible for balancing the budget while he was deputy executive director.

Ghadiri, 49, came to the Las Vegas Housing Authority in 1989 as the housing program director. He was made deputy executive director in 2000.

He was one of five candidates recommended for the job after a nationwide search for a new director. However, Ghadiri was not the commissioners' top choice.

Last month the commissioners offered the job to Harrison Shannon Jr., a former director of the Charlotte, N.C., housing authority, but he turned down the position. The other candidates also removed themselves from consideration or were dropped from the list of potential job candidates.

The commissioners unanimously voted to offer Ghadiri the job after an hour-long, closed-door session, which prompted applause.

Marie A. Baldwin, 70, second vice president of the residents association at the Arthur D. Sartini Plaza and Annex, said the commissioners finally made the right choice.

"I'm ecstatic. This man has always been there for us," Baldwin said.

McDonald said Ghadiri probably be offered a two-year contract. His salary will be negotiated.