Mayor Sets Sights on City Housing Chief

San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor, taking aim at a second top city administrator this month, is attempting to engineer the dismissal of Housing Commission Executive Director Evan Becker, city officials said Wednesday.

O’Connor has scheduled special concurrent meetings of the Housing Commission and the Housing Authority for Tuesday to launch a review of Becker’s performance “prior to deciding whether and under what terms his contract should be extended,” according to a memo to City Council members.

“It appears that (O’Connor) wants to review (Becker’s) role in the agency and how long he’s going to be here,” said Pam Gray, a spokeswoman for the Housing Commission, which Becker has directed since Aug. 1, 1988.

Paul Downey, the mayor’s spokesman, said, “I think we want to properly evaluate Mr. Becker’s status before renewing or not renewing his contract.” But privately, a source in the mayor’s office said that O’Connor will attempt to force Becker out of his job if she has City Council support for the move.

Short of that, the source said, O’Connor is seeking to upbraid Becker, whom she finds “rude, arrogant,” and insufficiently deferential to the mayor, the source said.

O’Connor and Becker faced off publicly earlier this year over the Housing Commission’s plan to purchase two low-income apartment complexes from a Miami Beach attorney with reported connections to organized crime.

To O’Connor’s frustration, the City Council ultimately approved the commission’s $38.5-million purchase of the Penasquitos Gardens and Mt. Aguilar apartment complexes from Alvin I. Malnik. During the acrimonious debate, O’Connor criticized the Housing Commission staff and Becker for not at once informing the council that Malnik owned the dwellings.

Asked Wednesday if the mayor is trying to force him out, Becker answered, “It would appear that way.”

“I really don’t know (why),” he added. “The only issue I’m aware of that the mayor is upset with the commission about is the Mt. Aguilar and Penasquitos Gardens . . . projects.”

Becker oversees a 235-person agency responsible for an $81-million annual budget and about 9,000 units of public and government-subsidized housing. He said he has never been accused of rudeness to O’Connor or any other public official.

“I have been willing to hold my ground when I feel I am being true to the mission of this agency, and that attracts opposition,” he said. “I love my job, and I feel we’re doing very well. I’m confident there’s support for the job we’re doing.”

Less than two weeks ago, O’Connor demanded the resignation of city Planning Director Robert Spaulding after word leaked of a secret $100,000 disability settlement paid to a Planning Department employee who alleged that Spaulding sexually harassed her.

O’Connor took over as chairwoman of the Housing Commission this month, filling the vacancy created when Councilwoman Linda Bernhardt was recalled from office April 9.

In 1987, O’Connor and the City Council assumed control of the then citizen-led Housing Commission and dismissed Executive Director Ben Montijo, who was under fire for management and spending practices.

Becker’s removal would require approval by both the seven-member Housing Commission--composed of three council members and four private citizens--and the nine-member Housing Authority, made up of the nine City Council members.

Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer said she would oppose any attempt to remove Becker. “I don’t know of anything the matter with the performance I’ve seen from Mr. Becker,” Wolfsheimer said.