The Tulalip Tribes of Washington have hired a former housing official who played a role in a housing scandal in the 1990s, The Everett Herald reports.

An investigation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development found that the tribal housing authority used federal funds to build lavish homes for themselves and relatives. The largest one was built for Mike Alva, a contracting director at the authority.

Alva and his wife, Patti Gobin, a tribal member who was executive director of the authority, were sanctioned by HUD and paid more than $200,000 to reimburse the agency. Alva was barred from working with HUD for three years but that prohibition expired.

Alva is now serving as interim director of the tribe's new housing authority. “He is just there temporarily until we get a job description and advertisements out and get a tribal member in there,” Chairman Mel Sheldon told the paper.

Get the Story:
Tulalips return rebuked housing official (The Everett Herald 6/11)

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