Embattled housing official quits North Las Vegas post

Don England, embattled CEO of the North Las Vegas Housing Authority, has resigned from the troubled agency but plans to stay on until a replacement is found, officials confirmed late Friday afternoon.

North Las Vegas City Councilman William Robinson, who also chairs the board of the housing authority, received a letter of resignation from England on Thursday, he said.

England could not be reached for comment.

Robinson wouldn't say whether England, who has led the agency since 1999, was forced out because of recent controversy surrounding his handling of problems at the crumbling Casa Rosa public housing complex.

"He's retiring, and we'll leave it at that," Robinson said.

England faced recent criticism from board members, public housing residents and others because of substandard conditions at Casa Rosa, a complex for poor families.

The city of North Las Vegas last month ordered the housing authority to repair or demolish many of its decades-old family units because they are unsafe. Violations were found in 57 of Casa Rosa's units, including failing stairways, mold, wiring problems and non-working smoke detectors.

The agency also was told to move 21 families immediately because of water or sewer leaks in their units.

Robinson earlier this month said he had been unaware of the problems because housing authority administrators had "been masking" them from him.

"There's no excuse for this," he said at the time. "Don (England) and I are going to sit down and have a long, long conversation."

England's salary is about $117,000 a year, Robinson said.

The agency in recent years also has been labeled "troubled" by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A HUD audit released last year found the agency failed to use $4.4 million in public money that was supposed to be spent to house needy people.

It will be difficult to replace England, Robinson said.

"Who wants to come into a hornet's nest?"

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.