Public Housing Protest Calls For Director’s Removal: Report

BRADENTON, FL — Public housing tenants are calling for the removal of the executive director of the city of Bradenton’s Housing Authority.

Frustrated tenants marched in protest of their treatment on Wednesday afternoon, claiming they’ve been harassed by the housing authority’s director and the condition of their homes, including mold, according to ABC 7.

“What we are hoping is to get somebody in there that cares about the people, definitely want to see the housing grow into a better aspect from what it is right now,” said Shavonda Griffin, a community advocate. “Get the housing and the plumbing fixed from the inside, so there are better units these people can live in, we want to have somebody out there that wants to help.”

Tenants told the Bradenton Herald that the executive director, Ellis Mitchell Jr., frequently issues fines and citations to those living in the homes. As these fines add up, it makes it difficult for these struggling families to make their rent and they sometimes face eviction.

“(Mitchell) treats everyone there like he’s the master of the plantation and we’re the slaves. We may not be filling people’s pockets, but we are human beings,” Barbara Thompson, a public housing tenant for 11 years, told the news outlet.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development investigated the Bradenton Housing Authority in 2020 and found that Mitchell and BHA staff members were “combative and abusive” with residents, according to the Bradenton Herald.

Mitchell has denied the allegations against him and his staff.