Resident raises concerns about Fargo Housing Authority responsiveness and waits for answers
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Summary
A Fargo resident told the Human Rights Commission he had sought records and responses from the Housing Authority and was dissatisfied with the agency’s communication and processes.
Christopher Cohn, a Fargo resident and frequent civic participant, used the public‑comment period at the Human Rights Commission meeting on Sept. 18 to raise concerns about communication and procedures at Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
Cohn said he emailed the authority’s voucher coordinator, Tara, on July 10 and had not received a substantive reply. He said he had been in contact with CFO Jill Leibold since Aug. 10 but described the replies as non‑substantive. “They have not done so,” Cohn said of his requests for accountability and answers.
Cohn described specific problems he said he had observed or been told about: staff not responding to emails or phone calls; applicants removed from waiting lists after being given short deadlines with no clear way to contact housing managers; and delays that leave applicants unable to view apartments within posted time windows. He said one recurring agency response was to contact applicants after the deadline and then say they had attempted contact.
The commission did not take formal action on the comment, but commissioners acknowledged the issue and indicated staff could follow up with the housing authority to request a response and clarify complaint and waiting‑list procedures.