The Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners is in the midst of absorbing employees from its nonprofit arm, Mobile Development Enterprises. Members were, therefore, hesitant to agree to create another nonprofit when it met Wednesday, Feb. 14, despite the recommendation of new Executive Director Akinola Popoola. Instead, commissioners gave Popoola permission to explore the creation of another nonprofit, all while voicing their concerns. “We’ve spent a year and a half winding down a nonprofit,” MHB Vice Chairman Reid Cummings said. “How will this differ from MDE?” Popoola told Cummings it would be legally different from MDE and be used in...

Mobile Housing Board officials and Mayor Sandy Stimpson celebrated the beginning of the demolition of Roger Williams Homes earlier this month. The demolition process began after years of planning and delays to replace the decades-old housing complex with new affordable housing. The final 116 families were relocated from the facility in October 2016, but issues with the demolition agreement lingered until September of this year when the board approved the process with developer Hunt Cos. The demolition process will take several months, according to a statement from MHB. The process should be completed in May and will cost roughly...

After decades in charge of the Opelika Housing Authority, Akinola Popoola has brought his experience to Mobile. Popoola started as the Mobile Housing Board’s new full-time executive director on Friday, Dec. 1, after falling in love with the city when his son attended the Alabama School of Math and Science in midtown. “It’s just a beautiful city,” he said in a phone interview. Popoola sees the job as an opportunity to turn the city’s low-income housing situation around, after more than a year of uncertainty. While there are a few options, Popoola said he wants to get in and...

While the site has been vacant and boarded up for almost a year, the Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners voted on a contract that would start the demolition process for Roger Williams Homes. Now the developer, Hunt Cos., and general contractor, Moss, have a five-month window in which to demolish the former housing complex, which is the first step in a multimillion-dollar revitalization of the entire northside neighborhood. The budget for the demolition is set at $2.5 million and Gulf States Contracting was the firm selected to do the work, Hunt Cos.’ Stan Waterhouse said. At issue for many...

After a somewhat contentious and at times confusing special-called meeting Monday, June 26, the Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners offered the job of executive director to George Lee Byers. Byers (pictured above), who most recently worked as director of the Bridgeport Housing Authority in Connecticut, was approved 3-1 by the board. Commissioner Melvin Clark abstained from the vote because he had not been involved in the interview process. Commissioner Reid Cummings voted against Byers after his own choice, Akinola Popoola, was voted down by the same margin. While three of four commissioners ranked Popoola higher than Byers, Popoola did...

The Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners has narrowed its search for a new executive director to four candidates, with face-to-face interviews scheduled for later in the month, Chairwoman Kimberly Pettway said recently. The four finalists, who are all from out of town, were chosen from 10 applicants after a series of Skype interviews last month. Pettway did not name the candidates at this point out of respect for the fact that they are currently working other jobs. The face-to-face interviews will take place June 19 and 20, Pettway said, with plans for the board to call a special meeting...