JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Housing Authority board member Harriet Brock has settled her federal lawsuit against the agency and its CEO. As part of the deal, Brock’s own housing assistance will be restored, but she must repay disputed benefits and leave the JHA board.
Action News Jax’s Ben Becker obtained the settlement involving Brock, secretary of JHA’s Board of Commissioners, who also receives assistance through the agency’s Housing Choice Voucher, or Section 8, program.
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Under the agreement, JHA will reinstate Brock in the program and pay her landlord housing assistance for August, September and October 2026. JHA will also continue making payments as long as Brock remains eligible.
Brock agreed to repay $9,691 in disputed housing assistance within 10 days of the agreement. According to the settlement, $3,691 will come from Brock and $6,000 from the Downtown Ecumenical Services Council.
Brock agrees to leave JHA board
The settlement also requires Brock to resign from JHA’s Board of Commissioners effective Friday, Oct. 16.
The agreement said Brock’s board term had expired Sept. 30. She also agreed not to apply for or serve on the JHA board or its affiliate boards in the future unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
Brock filed the federal lawsuit September 23 against JHA, CEO Cheron Corbett, and Andrew Denicola.
According to the settlement, JHA notified Brock in October 2025 that it determined she had been overpaid $9,691 in federal housing benefits. The agency calculated the amount using income earned by Brock’s adult grandson, who was on the lease but, according to the settlement, was not living in the unit.
Brock challenged the finding at a May hearing, but a hearing officer upheld it the following month. In July, JHA notified Brock it was terminating her voucher assistance and would stop paying her landlord.
Brock’s lawsuit alleged JHA failed to give her sufficient notice and an opportunity to be heard before terminating her benefits, violating her due process rights.
Lawsuit to be dismissed
As part of the settlement, Brock agreed to dismiss the federal lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the claims cannot be brought again.
Both sides agreed to pay their own attorneys’ fees and costs.
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The agreement states the settlement is a compromise and does not constitute an admission of liability or fault by either JHA or Brock.
A separate release says the parties agreed not to publicly discuss the settlement terms beyond saying the dispute had been resolved. It also acknowledges that JHA is a public agency subject to Florida’s public records laws.
Years of issues at JHA
The settlement is the latest development at JHA, which Action News Jax has been investigating for more than two years.
Action News Jax reported Monday that Corbett proposed changing her employment contract to receive 12% of certain developer fees, a request rejected by the JHA board.
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The proposal has drawn pushback from the mayor’s office and City Council, with Councilman Rory Diamond calling for Corbett to resign.
Action News Jax’s investigations into JHA have included vendor payment problems, the outsourcing of dozens of jobs, leadership turnover, criminal charges against the agency’s former deputy chief financial officer, and multiple investigations by Jacksonville’s Office of Inspector General.
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