Search For Replacement PHA Director Coming Up Empty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's been more than a month since Carl Greene, the embattled director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, was ousted (see related story), and still there's been no replacement named.

The PHA board, led by chairman John Street, is looking first for an interim director who can run the shop until a permanent executive director is chosen.  Street says in the meantime the agency is operating "at a very high level" despite Greene's tumultuous firing:

"Carl had this agency set up where it was a rather efficient organization, notwithstanding his other flaws and problems.  People are pretty highly motivated, and they really want to do a good job, and that works well for us."

But even the search for an interim director is proving difficult.  Street says they had settled on one candidate, a nationally known public housing official from outside the city, but that person's current employer eventually refused to let them leave.

So, for the PHA board, it's back to square one.  And Street says the pool of qualified applicants even nationally is quite small:

"We still have some pretty good candidates.  But we're not where we need to be.  And it looks like it's going to be some time.  But I don't think it's going to be that long -- we have some pretty good candidates we're working with."

He estimates 15-30 days after they pinpoint a candidate.

Reported by KYW City Hall Bureau Chief Mike Dunn.