Housing authority staff urge city to pressure FHA after maintenance layoffs threaten resident safety

Dozens of Fresno Housing maintenance workers, residents and labor leaders told the City Council on July 30 that planned layoffs at the Fresno Housing Authority would harm residents and public safety. Workers described being already short-staffed and said layoffs would worsen delays for repairs, inspections and emergency responses for low-income and elderly tenants.

"If layoffs proceed, this would further delay urgent repairs for vulnerable families in our units," Priscilla Herrera, a property manager with Fresno Housing and SEIU Local 521, told the council during public comment. Fresno Housing CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams said the authority faces federal funding shortfalls and has trimmed other costs before eliminating positions: "Only after exhausting these options did we make the difficult decisions to eliminate positions," he said. Council members expressed support for employees and approved a resolution urging the authority to protect frontline jobs and work with labor and city leaders on alternatives.

The council's action is advisory to the independent housing authority board; several members urged the board's commissioners — half of whom the city appoints — to press the authority leadership to minimize layoffs and seek partnerships or short-term funding options.