Mayor Goode was to make it official today - Councilman Edward Schwartz will be the city's new director of housing.
Goode scheduled a City Hall news conference to announce Schwartz's appointment, effective July 1.
A longtime Goode ally, Schwartz lost his bid for a second term as councilman-at-large in last month's primary election. In the new post, he will replace Julia Robinson as head of the embattled agency, which administers more than $70 million in federal, state and city housing monies.
The housing director also oversees the operations of two other state- chartered city agencies - the Redevelopment Authority and the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
Robinson came increasingly under fire in recent years for her agency's handling of the rebuilding of the Cobbs Creek homes destroyed during the May 1985 MOVE confrontation and for its alleged failure to monitor closely $530,000 in grants funneled to the Inner City Organizing Network.
ICON's former director, Charles "Boo" Burrus, has been indicted on charges of stealing $128,000 of that sum. A preliminary hearing for Burrus on the charges has had two sessions this week and is to resume Tuesday.
Council Majority Leader Joan Krajewski applauded Schwartz's appointment. ''It's an excellent choice," she said. "He's truly dedicated. He was a hard-working councilman and I'm sure he'll do a very good job."
