Sanford is a blue-collar suburban community of 37,327 permanent residents 30 miles north of Downtown Orlando.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last week placed the board on two years probation for illegally spending $750,000 of federal funds.

Timothy D. Hudson, a private commercial developer and the authority's $113,000-a-year executive director, is resigning April 20. He is accused of mishandling about $1 million in HUD funds during his five years in office.

Ida Stephens previously resigned from the housing authority, leaving Edward Blacksheare, chairman; and members Shirley Allen, Emory Blake and Bernard Brown.

Even as the accused board struggles to manage 1,200 tenants in 360 HUD-owned apartment units, it apparently broke the rules again by retaining Gerald Rutberg, a Maitland, FL lawyer, without holding a public meeting, city hall sources tell GlobeSt.com on condition of anonymity. Rutberg defends his hiring by arguing the board needed legal counsel immediately and couldn't wait to hold a public meeting.

Of HUD's original 480 units in six buildings, 120 units are shuttered and awaiting repairs.