TCHC not interfering with probe, watchdog says

Toronto ombudsman says talk with housing agency’s CEO cleared up confusion about clashing ‘investigations’

Toronto ombudsman Fiona Crean says she no longer believes the Toronto Community Housing Corp. might be interfering with her investigation into its chief executive’s hiring and promotion practices.

Crean had become worried when she read that TCHC CEO Gene Jones told reporters that the public housing agency was going to conduct its own “third-party investigation” into staffing issues at the same time as her own investigation.

Contacted Wednesday, she said the TCHC move was “disturbing” and unprecedented in her career. After speaking with Jones on Thursday, she said her concerns have been addressed.

“We are very clear on what we are each doing, and there is no interception between the two,” Crean said Friday. TCHC spokeswoman Sara Goldvine said Jones misspoke in describing the TCHC’s initiative to reporters. She did not elaborate, but she described the project as a “review,” not an investigation.

The TCHC embarked on the review weeks before Crean notified Jones on Aug. 27 that she would be commencing her own investigation.

“The third party review is distinct from any investigation by the ombudsman — it will assess our current policies, procedures and processes in order to benchmark them against industry best practices and make recommendations for improvement,” Goldvine said.

Crean said her investigation is just beginning and will not be complete until next year.