If Dallas City Manager Wants to ‘smoke Out the BS,' Here's Where to Start

"The city's had this problem a long time and it should have been corrected a long time ago."While that biting assessment could be made about any number of deficiencies at Dallas City Hall, this time the quote applies to an initiative that, if managed correctly, could be invaluable to helping low-income families buy homes.The city's just-hired housing director David Noguera, who made the statement, now has the job of cleaning up a mess that has left nearly 60 families — each on the verge of home ownership — in limbo.Dallas Morning News reporters Sue Ambrose and Sarah Mervosh wrote last week about the problematic management of the Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program, which provides as much as $20,000 toward down payments and closing costs for qualified individuals.During a routine review this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found significant deficiencies, including lack of vetting and inaccurate record-keeping.  Continue reading...