SNAKE EATS TAIL

NYC Housing Official Lied to Qualify for Affordable Housing, Authorities Say

Josette Dabo, who earned nearly $100,000 in 2019, stands accused of defrauding HUD by claiming she made far less.

A New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) administrator lied to federal housing authorities about her income so her family could qualify for affordable housing, a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court alleges. According to the filing, Josette Dabo, who worked for NYCHA and then the NYC Department of Homeless Services, forged or altered pay stubs and income statements to make it appear she earned far less than she actually did. Dabo then allegedly submitted the bogus documents in sworn recertification packets to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which continued to provide financial assistance to Dabo based on her claims. This, say prosecutors, allowed Dabo—who earned nearly $100,000 in 2019—to fraudulently claim more than $65,000 in Section 8 rent subsidies since 2012 that could have gone to needier families, instead. A LinkedIn profile under Dabo’s name says she was a borough administrator at NYCHA; a second one lists her position at the Department of Homeless Services as interim associate commissioner for support services. Dabo does not have a lawyer listed in court records, and was unable to be reached for comment.