Savannah's city manager has frozen funding to the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless and said she is unwilling to release the funds until its ongoing leadership problems are resolved.

Authority board members have met twice in two weeks to debate whether to fire Executive Director Mark Baggett. City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney said she supports the authority's mission, but not its leadership. She has specifically cited the authority's failure to pay insurance premiums for its employees, who participate in the city's insurance program, as among her chief concerns.

Baggett said the authority faces a number of funding problems, but has managed to reduce homelessness by focusing on providing emergency money to keep people from being evicted from their homes.

Tags: homeless, Savannah, Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless