LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — The Lee's Summit Housing Authority (LSHA) is still cleaning up its systems from a previous administration.
KSHB 41's reporter Alyssa Jackson has been covering issues at the agency for nearly a year.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, public housing tenants received notices in the mail asking for their help to recover unpaid rent balances from 2024.
A tenant, who got a letter that said she owed $708, tipped Jackson off to the issue.
The letters asked tenants to show proof of payments by Thursday, July 10th, or the agency will start adding late fees.
Balances show a due date of August 1st.
KSHB 41 already found out through an open records request that HUD's latest compliance review revealed LSHA has been cited for miscalculating rent payments and not appropriately verifying its income and assets.
The notices mailed to tenants appear to be the result of those problems.
"I cannot pay it," said June Bartley, a Lee Haven tenant. "I'd have to move, and if that's what they're trying to do, get us all out of here, that's what they're gonna do, but I don't see them doing that. I don't think it's right."
June Bartley said she doesn't want to move.
Bartley has lived in the housing authority's Lee Haven community for 14 years and never missed a payment.
However, the housing authority claims there's an unpaid balance of $1,860 on her account.
"I don't even make that on social security," Bartley said. "I have no idea where they come up with that number."
The balance on the notice is nearly four times the amount Bartley said she pays in rent.
"I think someone needs to come in and take over some of this business going on up there," she said.
Even though they are being asked to help the housing authority, tenants have told KSHB 41 they can't get the agency to answer the phone.
A tenant, who wanted to remain anonymous, said in her 12 years of living in Lee Haven, she's never received a notice saying she didn't pay her rent.
"I've heard that in 2024 there were a lot of errors made," the tenant said. "I don't know what happened."
The tenant showed KSHB 41 years of neglected maintenance and water leaks throughout her apartment.
Despite those issues, she said her rent has always been paid on time and in full through money orders.
Usually, she throws away receipts after a month.
"It’s a place to live, a roof over my head," she said. "I’m thankful for what I do have. I just don’t want to be charged money I don’t owe," she said.
The housing authority's letter claims she has a $428 balance.
However, the notices don't itemize months that payments are missing or explain how the balances were calculated.
Tenants can only see a balance and any open credits on their account through the letter.
"I don't even know what months they're talking about to even try to get proof," she said. "If I owed it, I would pay it, but I don't."
KSHB 41 has previously reported on pending investigations into the housing authority for mismanaging funds under previous leadership.
Bartley said: "I don't think we should be responsible, and there were 50 people up there in their office the other day trying to prove it."
The Housing and Urban Development agency has not responded to whether there is an existing policy for how a public housing agency should handle underpayments if they are the result of the agency's errors.
The Lee's Summit Housing Authority has not responded to a request for an interview or comment.
KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson went to the office on Tuesday, and an employee confirmed there could be system errors to resolve.
The employee said each tenant who has been able to show receipts hasn't had to pay a balance.
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including Overland Park, Prairie Village and Leawood. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
