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City Council approves two resident commissioner appointments to Omaha Housing Authority after debate on notice and participation
Summary
The council confirmed two resident commissioners to the Omaha Housing Authority board after discussion about the statutory selection process, mail notifications to residents and the candidates’ qualifications; one appointment passed 7–0, the second passed 6–1.
The Omaha City Council confirmed two resident commissioners to the Omaha Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners after members discussed the statutory selection procedure, outreach to residents and candidate qualifications.
Joanie Balk, chief executive officer of the Omaha Housing Authority, told the council that the agency mailed application packets to all public-housing households and housing-choice voucher holders as required by state law. Balk said the office mailed 6,397 pieces of mail on Aug. 15 and received 65 applications in response. She described a formalized front-and-back application and a review process that produced recommendations to the mayor.
The first appointment, Kenya Barnes Hayward, was approved by roll call 7–0. Multiple council members praised Barnes Hayward’s volunteer work and background and expressed support for resident representation on the authority board.
The second appointment, for Abaziz Salad Hussain (absent from the meeting because of work responsibilities), provoked more comment. Some council members asked for in-person introductions before voting; others noted he manages transportation services and works long hours and could not appear because he was driving youth to outreach services. Councilmember Johnson said she could not support that nomination because she had not had the chance to meet the nominee and wanted to perform due diligence; the roll-call vote on that nomination passed 6–1 with Johnson voting no.
Legal background: Council staff and the housing authority cited changes in state law from the 2024 legislative session (LB 840) that increased the number of required resident commissioners for metropolitan-class cities (Omaha). The authority said it followed the statute’s requirement to notify residents and then forwarded applications to the mayor for appointment; the council’s role is to confirm mayoral nominations.
Council discussion included questions about the outreach method (direct mail to every household was used rather than a public posting) and the timeline for notifying council and residents. The authority said it followed the statutory process and that mailed notice is the mechanism that best reaches all households.
Ending — Both appointments are intended to expand resident representation on the Omaha Housing Authority board. Council members asked the authority to continue transparent outreach and to keep council informed of implementation steps related to LB 840.
