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Committee interviews Sharon Horn for Harrisburg Housing Authority board seat
Summary
The administration committee heard Sharon Horn describe decades of administrative experience and community advocacy in support of nomination to the Harrisburg Housing Authority board; members asked about transparency, resident services, safety and potential conflicts before moving the nomination to the legislative session agenda for a vote.
Sharon Horn, a lifelong Harrisburg resident and retired administrative employee of the state Department of Environmental Protection, met with the administration committee Oct. 7 as the nominee to serve on the five-member Harrisburg Housing Authority board.
Horn told the committee she has prior experience working at a housing authority in 1979 in a clerical and reception role and described helping residents access services, secure Section 8 vouchers and navigate maintenance and occupancy issues. She said her priorities on the board would include increasing transparency in waitlist management, improving resident services and supportive programming, and ensuring fair hiring practices.
Committee members noted that the housing authority operates independently from the city but acknowledged the authority’s central role in neighborhood stability, redevelopment and resident services. Committee discussion included a review of current board terms: the law bureau said seated commissioners’ terms extend through dates in 2026–2029 and that this appointment is a five-year term; members discussed which existing seat Horn would fill and whether the appointment should also be aligned to the staggered term schedule. Councilwoman Davis and others emphasized resident safety and evacuation systems at housing authority properties and asked Horn to monitor those issues.
Horn answered questions about conflicts of interest and said she had none. Councilwoman Daniels moved to add resolution 56 of 02/2025 (Horn’s nomination) to the next legislative session agenda for a formal vote. The motion was recorded in committee; no final council vote took place during the work session.
