Council reinstates HANO board member Sharon Jasper

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The New Orleans City Council on Wednesday (March 8) reinstated a board member of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO).

Mayor LaToya Cantrell removed Sharon Jasper from the board after a contentious Oct. 25 board meeting.

At the meeting, residents spoke out about their living conditions. The board’s president, Carol Johnson, accused Jasper of egging on residents and creating a “threatening environment” for HANO staffers. Johnson then asked Cantrell to terminate Jasper.

“I started going out to different developments to meetings and seeing what’s really going on. What people were going through. They were telling me the house they live in, the condition of the house, and the maintenance wasn’t being kept up,” Jasper said.

“This meeting was the breaking point,” Johnson said. “The board of commissioners had enough disruptions by Sharon Jasper and decided that we must act as Ms. Jasper’s behavior was now impeding the board’s ability to perform our duties.”

“That’s what the meetings are for,” Jasper said. “Bring it to the board. Let’s see what they say and how it’s going to be handled.”

In early December, the City Council voted to reinstate Jasper, but HANO asked to have her removed again.

“For me to hear them say the things that they’re saying about me,” Jasper said. “It’s hard. And I never missed a meeting. I was at different developments working with people all over the city. The work I have done will speak for itself.”

The board’s appeal failed Wednesday and the council reinstated Jasper, a longtime public housing advocate.

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