HUD Blocks Burnett From CHA Top Job

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s bid to install a key ally atop the Chicago Housing Authority has hit a definitive wall in Washington.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this week rejected the CHA’s request for conflict-of-interest waivers for retired Alderman Walter Burnett, effectively disqualifying him from serving as CEO of the $1.4 billion agency. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the decision ends a seven-month standoff and further weakens Johnson’s grip over an authority that has lacked permanent leadership since late 2024.

HUD cited Burnett’s decades-long role on the City Council and his financial ties to the agency as fatal conflicts. Burnett and his wife have collected more than $260,000 since 2007 as landlords participating in the CHA’s voucher program. In a letter to CHA Chair Matthew Brewer, HUD officials said Burnett cannot take the job within one year of leaving public office or while maintaining any ownership stake tied to the program.

The ruling enters the debate amid a broader power struggle between the mayor’s office and the CHA board. Johnson had pushed Burnett despite objections from residents and the agency’s own selection committee, which declined to name him a finalist, citing limited operational experience. The committee ultimately granted Burnett a “courtesy interview” even though he did not formally apply, according to the publication.

Last month, the CHA board voted 7-2 to appoint Keith Pettigrew, head of the District of Columbia Housing Authority, to a four-year term as CEO. Brewer signaled the board is ready to move forward, saying both residents and federal officials have now weighed in.

Johnson, however, has not conceded. A spokesperson said the administration is reviewing HUD’s letter and pointed to precedent for similar appointments nationwide, specifically of prior elected officials such as Burnett to housing authorities, according to the statement.

Still, the mayor’s effort to override the search process — including declining to schedule finalist interviews — has drawn scrutiny and helped fuel a lawsuit from housing advocates alleging the board violated open meetings law in selecting Pettigrew.

The episode underscores the high stakes around control of the CHA, the nation’s third-largest housing authority, as it navigates leadership turmoil, resident distrust and mounting pressure to deploy federal housing resources more effectively.

— Eric Weilbacher