Disarray Intensifies as Second Hope House Chief Quits

Turmoil continued at Hope House, Palm Beach County's biggest provider of housing for people with HIV/AIDS, this week with the resignation of its second interim director, Bruce Halstead.

Halstead replaced interim Director Bruce McDonald this summer. McDonald, a former Palm Beach County school administrator who served as the Urban League of Palm Beach County's CEO for 18 months, stepped in after the resignation of David Walker. Walker, credited with righting the agency after a financial crisis in 1996, resigned in February after serving for five years.

Hope House, incorporated in 1987, provides housing, outreach, case management, teen pregnancy prevention and other programs to hundreds of people affected by HIV/AIDS across the county.

Last May, United Way of Palm Beach County withdrew its financing, prompting concern in the community about the solvency of Hope House. A major scandal in the mid 1990's had set Hope House back when Director Robert Greijack pleaded guilty to stealing the agency's money and was ordered to repay $313,870. Last year the agency faced another challenge: a lawsuit filed against it by the Quantum Foundation. Quantum maintained that half of its support grant was supposed to be used for cottages for children on the grounds of St. Mary's Medical Center. The suit was settled in a confidential agreement.

Shortly after, United Way conducted an audit that found Hope House suffering money problems, and the agency pulled the remaining funds from its $85,300 grant. While the money made up a very small percentage of Hope House's $2.3 million budget, the loss of United Way's endorsement hurt the agency.

"It's just really a tragedy to have an organization that's so needed be so defunct," said Bruce Lewis, a United Way member and former consultant to Hope House. No matter what Hope House's future holds, however, the community will find alternatives. "What I think will happen is because the need is there, there will probably be a reorganization of that organization internally first," Lewis said. "They'll present themselves in a new light and . . . rebuild their relationship with the community and move forward."

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