Hickory leaders discuss abolishing public housing authority board due to voucher concerns

City leaders in Hickory discussed a proposal Tuesday night to abolish the board overseeing the Hickory Public Housing Authority. The move comes in response to years of complaints about inefficiencies in the organization, which Mayor Hank Guess says has left much-needed affordable housing resources underutilized."There’s a tremendous need for affordable housing, and 40% of it’s not being utilized, and so we’re looking at trying to increase that," Guess said.The mayor explained that roughly 40% of the available housing vouchers in Hickory are not being used, creating a significant gap in housing assistance. Landlord Rebecca Robinson, who has experienced the issue firsthand, said something needs to change.Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/markets/real-estate/affordable-housing-crisis/hickory-nc-public-housing-authority-1-7-2025/275-d55d58c5-b99b-4d18-bff5-ab010b37e9ffWCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with news that impacts you from the team at WCNC Charlotte.  SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeartAll of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.