ATLANTA — The Atlanta Housing Authority announced Wednesday that it would be adopting new policies and procedures in an effort to strengthen how it operates, reinforce accountability and improve transparency.
Atlanta Housing said it had taken steps to reaffirm and bolster employee awareness of agency policies, including its Code of Ethics, Whistleblower Protection and Non-Retaliation Policy and Conflict of Interest requirements.
The news comes in the wake of a former executive facing accusations of Section 8 and COVID-19 relief fraud.
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Channel 2 Action News reported when the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Tracey Denise Jones, at the time a Senior Vice President of Atlanta Housing, with fraudulently collecting Section 8 housing assistance payments for her own rental property and family members.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln learned that Jones allegedly told her son’s girlfriend to fabricate a domestic violence incident to justify Atlanta-issued Section 8 vouchers at a home in Fayetteville, about 24 miles outside the city. Court records show Jones owns that property.
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Following Jones’ indictment by USAO, the agency appointed Shannon Linsey as interim senior vice president of the housing choice voucher program, effective immediately.
Now, the agency said the measures are meant to ensure staff have clear expectations, consistent accountability, maintain a commitment to transparency and retain strong safeguards across the organization.
“Strong governance requires consistent enforcement, clear accountability, and a culture where concerns can be raised easily and transparently without fear,” said Sharese M. Reyes, General Counsel for Atlanta Housing. “We are reinforcing our ethics framework, strengthening compliance practices, and ensuring the safeguards designed to protect public resources are clearly understood and consistently applied.”
Reyes, who was recently appointed as Atlanta Housing’s general counsel, has several core priorities, according to the an agency statement.
With a focus on ethics and conduct standards, as well as stronger oversight protocols, Reyes is prioritizing:
- Agencywide communication of the Code of Ethics, and Whistleblower Protection and Non-Retaliation Policy;
- Strengthened conflict-of-interest disclosure and review processes for employees and leadership;
- Enhanced internal review and oversight protocols within high-impact operational areas;
- Expanded training and accountability measures to reinforce ethical decision-making and compliance.
Atlanta Housing said it would continue evaluating and strengthening its governance and oversight practices and will share more updates as appropriate.
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