COG to assume control of Hickory Housing Authority after COG finds financial, administrative failures

The Western Piedmont Council of Governments will take operational control of the Hickory Housing Authority effective July 1, 2025, following a council-directed takeover after an internal review found severe financial and administrative problems, Executive Director Anthony Starr told the Hickory City Council on June 17.

Starr said the housing authority currently administers housing choice vouchers but that its voucher program has been operating well below capacity. "After reviewing and auditing all the tenant files, there are currently 267 vouchers in current and use out of the potential 556 vouchers. That reveals an actual lease rate of about 48% of the of the vouchers being utilized," Starr said. He told the council the authority previously reported a lease rate near 60%.

Why it matters: The housing authority holds vouchers that provide rental assistance to low-income households; underuse of those vouchers means eligible families may not be receiving federal assistance city officials say there is capacity to distribute.

Starr told council staff reduced the housing…