PEORIA, Ill. – She’s been in town for awhile, coming here from Detroit, but the new CEO of the Peoria Housing Authority is now getting out in the public.
Armeca Crawford started in April, taking over for Jackie Newman, who oversaw both the Peoria and Springfield Housing Authorities for a time.
“I am passionate — I’m deeply passionate — about housing. I advocate for access to affordable housing,” said Crawford, during a news conference Tuesday.
Along with that, Crawford says she’ll advocate for preserving families, and neighborhoods.
But, Crawford says outside relationships are important to the success of the agency — including, for example, with landlords who may be the recipient of public housing vouchers.
“If you want to be a part of this program, we will welcome you. We want to continue this momentum and this energy,” said Crawford. “However, those that will cast a negative light on Peoria, and Peoria Housing Authority, we will need to have further conversations.”
Crawford says she wants to take a “hard look” at some of those partnerships.
She says there are a few, in her words, “pillars” that will guide her and the Housing Authority’s work.
“Our platform will consist of community engagement and resident relations. We must improve our accountability to the public. We must improve our interaction and our relationships with our landlord, with our key stakeholders such as the city and the state and our families.”
Crawford says she’ll do that by providing what she calls a “better service” to the public.
Crawford admits the recent fatal shootings and findings of bodies in the Taft Homes complex, along with other public housing-related violence, in her words, keep her up at night.
“What we look to do as we address our strategic plan as an organization coming up fairly soon, is how do we address and tackle some of the crime that’s taken place in our community,” said Crawford. “We can build the best community out there. But, if people don’t feel safe, they won’t live there. Or, if they come, they won’t stay.”
In the near term, Crawford — a former employee of the Detroit Housing Commission — says more safety education for tenants might be a good thing, as would better partnerships with organizations like Peoria Police and other community groups.
