3 Joliet Housing Authorities Replaced by the City Of Joliet

Joliet, IL. – At a Tuesday, November 15, 2016 Joliet City Council meeting, Mayor Bob O’Dekirk approved the board member appointments of Angel Contreras, Dr. Glenda McCullum and Yvonne White to the Housing Authority of Joliet (HAJ).

They will be replacing current board of commissioners, Patrick Asher, Mittchelena Meade and Karen Williams.

According to mysuburbanlife.com, the replacements, of half of the board’s members, occurred ahead of their terms expiring.

Yet Mayor O’Dekirk voiced no dissatisfaction with the current members, saying, “It’s always good to have new ideas and a fresh perspective.”

According to their website, the HAJ provides 1,000 families with public housing rental units, within seven housing developments.

The housing developments are for public and mixed income housing—properties available to families of low-to-middle incomes.

In 2015, the housing authority was provided with $19 million by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The money will be used for the redevelopment of the Des Plaines Gardens housing complex, according to the HAJ website.

Construction on the housing complex will include the demolition of 122 of the complexes’ 162 units.

The Joliet Patch reports that 68 single-family homes and townhomes will be built in their place.

The new board members will oversee the project.

Dr. McCullum, who will replace Patrick Asher, as Commissioner is currently a pastor at Kingdom Builders International Church in Joliet, according to the churches’ website.

Yvonne White, who will replace Karen Williams as Vice Chairperson, is currently a resident of the John C. Murphy Building, a property owned by the HAJ, and holds a position on the HAJ’s board on behalf of HAJ residents, The Herald-News reports.

Angel Contreras currently coaches the Joliet Junior College men’s soccer team, according to the Joliet Junior College website.

The appointments took effect November 17, 2016.