Ethics Complaint Says Prichard Housing Authority Director Zulieka Boykin “defrauded taxpayers”

The Housing Authority of the City of Prichard (HACP) is tasked with a singular, critical mission: providing safe, decent, and affordable housing to some of Alabama’s most vulnerable residents. But a review of public records, agency documents, and internal correspondence raises serious questions about whether the agency’s former leadership prioritized luxury travel and personal entertainment over its fiduciary duty to the community it serves.

At the center of these questions is Zulieka Boykin, who served as the Executive Director (and at times, Interim Executive Director) of the Prichard Housing Authority during the period in question. Documents obtained and reviewed indicate that beginning on or around July 2019, Boykin engaged in a pattern of extensive travel allegedly billed to the agency. While official business travel is a standard component of housing authority administration—particularly for professional development—evidence suggests that the true nature of several of these excursions diverged significantly from the HACP’s core mission.

The Paper Trail and the Photographic Evidence

The controversy surrounding Boykin’s travel stems not just from the frequency of the trips, but from the documentation of their character. Sources indicate that photographs obtained during this period depict Boykin in settings that are difficult to reconcile with the austere, regulation-heavy world of public housing administration. In several of these images, Boykin’s family members are seen accompanying her, suggesting that these were not solitary, work-intensive business trips but rather family vacations subsidized, at least in part, by the public purse.

This alleged commingling of personal leisure and official business is particularly troubling given the financial fragility of the Prichard Housing Authority. The HACP has a long and documented history of being designated a “troubled” agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with past audits revealing significant mismanagement and a lack of effective oversight regarding the use of federal funds. For an agency that has historically struggled to maintain basic housing quality standards and track its Section 8 vouchers, the diversion of funds toward executive travel represents a potential breach of the public trust that HUD and local residents can ill afford.

Where Is Zulieka Boykin Now?

Despite the cloud of these allegations, Boykin’s career in public housing administration has not only continued but appears to have advanced geographically.

According to current public records and organizational data, Zulieka Boykin is no longer with the Prichard Housing Authority. She has since relocated to California, where she currently serves as the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey (HACM).

Her tenure at HACM began in December 2023. In her current role, Boykin oversees a much larger housing portfolio in a significantly more expensive housing market. Recent board meeting minutes and public presentations indicate that she is actively involved in high-level policy discussions, including addressing compliance reviews, managing the transfer of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, and working on development deals with the city and county. Records indicate her compensation in this new role is substantial, with reported figures reaching $135,031 annually.

The move from the Deep South to the Central Coast of California represents a significant leap in both geography and scale. However, the questions regarding her stewardship of public funds in Prichard have not necessarily followed her to the West Coast. While HACM officials have publicly welcomed her leadership and noted her efforts to improve financial standing with HUD, the lack of a public accounting for the 2019 Prichard travel expenditures leaves a gap in the administrative record.

The Broader Implications for Prichard

Back in Prichard, the housing authority has undergone a change in leadership. Kimberly Levingston, who previously served as the Chief Administrative Officer, has since taken over as the Chief Executive Officer of the HACP. Levingston has been publicly visible, focusing on community events like back-to-school bashes and ribbon-cuttings for new affordable homes, attempting to steer the agency toward a more transparent and community-focused image.

However, the legacy of the 2019 travel scandal—if left unaddressed by federal auditors or local oversight boards—sends a chilling message. It suggests that executives can utilize public funds for personal benefit during times of agency distress without facing public consequences, only to move on to higher-paying positions elsewhere.

Conclusion

The allegations surrounding Zulieka Boykin’s travel expenses in 2019 highlight a critical vulnerability in the oversight of quasi-governmental agencies like Housing Authorities. While Boykin has moved on to Monterey County, the residents of Prichard are left with the lingering question of whether their housing authority was treated as a personal travel agency. Without a clear audit or public explanation for the family-inclusive trips funded by HACP, the integrity of the agency’s past financial management remains in question. For a community that has long suffered from systemic neglect, the demand for accountability is not just procedural—it is a matter of survival.