Chicago Housing Authority to Revoke Debra Parker’s Voucher

A Chicago Housing Authority commissioner is fighting to keep her rent subsidy, just as the agency itself is trying to take it away.

CHA leaders moved to terminate the Housing Choice Voucher used by board member Debra Parker after an internal hearing officer concluded she violated the rules of the federal subsidy program. The decision has escalated into a political and legal dispute, with CHA Board chair and interim operating head Matthew Brewer urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to consider removing Parker from the authority’s governing board, according to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ.

In a letter sent to the mayor this week, Brewer said the findings against Parker raised serious concerns about her ability to oversee the agency. The hearing officer determined Parker “underreported income and household members,” resulting in subsidies she wasn’t eligible to receive, according to the letter.

Brewer wrote that the conduct created “substantial concerns regarding Commissioner Parker’s fiduciary responsibility” and threatened public confidence in the housing authority.

Parker, who has served on the board since 2018, denies wrongdoing and has sued the CHA in Cook County Circuit Court to stop the termination of her benefits. In court filings, Parker said she relies on the subsidy to pay rent on her South Side home and could face eviction if the payments stop.

“I cannot afford the full rent for my unit,” Parker wrote in the filing, arguing the agency’s decision violates her civil rights. A judge has scheduled a hearing on the matter for this week.

The dispute centers on the Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8, which subsidizes rent for low-income tenants in privately owned apartments. Participants typically pay about 30 percent of their income toward rent while the housing authority covers the remainder.

According to Brewer’s letter, investigators determined the agency overpaid at least $12,000 in rent assistance tied to Parker’s voucher. The amount could be higher, he said, because Parker allegedly failed to provide requested tax and business income records.

Documents obtained through public records requests also show Parker began working for the Aurora Housing Authority in 2024, earning about $55,000 annually — income the CHA says was not properly disclosed.

The controversy adds to broader scrutiny surrounding Parker. An earlier investigation found companies owned by her longtime boyfriend, sister and daughter collectively received more than $22 million in CHA contracts. Parker has denied steering business to family members, noting commissioners have no role in vendor selection.

The issue now lands with Johnson, who has sole authority to appoint or remove CHA board members. The housing authority is already in flux, operating without a permanent CEO since late 2024 and facing stalled City Council approvals for other board appointments.

— Eric Weilbacher