Unresolved questions about living conditions have public housing tenants in Northampton, Massachusetts, seeking answers. Their concerns include suspected hazardous materials, overdue repairs, and cockroaches.
Here's what to know
State Sen. Jo Comerford, Executive Director Sharon Kimble, and Northampton Housing Authority commissioners heard directly from tenants about their complaints. Residents addressed them in the Walter Salvo House community room, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
The agency manages 567 homes across 13 buildings in Northampton and Florence.
Kimble cited state housing agency EOHLC inspectors' finding of no mold, rejecting concerns at the Cahill Apartments. She said state inspection reports are shared at authority meetings after resident Sandra Torrence asked when the public could see them.
Whether asbestos was covered was a point of disagreement: Tenants reported exposed and disturbed material in apartment tiles, challenging Kimble's assertion that covering it meant there was "no problem."
Residents described ventilation problems, water damage, and Salvo House elevators that had been unusable for months during the year covered by the report, according to the Gazette.
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More background
The complaints went beyond maintenance to include security breaches and drug dealing. Additional nighttime security patrols were among the tenant proposals highlighted by at-large City Councilor Meg Robbins. Robbins and Ward 6 City Councilor Christopher Stratton attended after hearing constituents' concerns, the Gazette reported.
With both Northampton police and the authority aware of the problem, Kimble invited suggestions. She said property managers' response is complicated because people involved in criminal activity sometimes enter the buildings as residents' guests.
Kimble said the authority still faced a backlog despite completing more than 2,100 work orders during her first four months as executive director.
She attributed some of the difficulty in meeting maintenance needs to an improperly prepared budget. She said she was determining how much funding remained available for maintenance and administration.
What's being done?
For Cahill's detection system, the planned change is from smoke sensors to heat detectors, with Northampton Housing Authority maintenance director Anthony Patterson coordinating with the city's fire department, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
The effort follows more than 45 calls Patterson described as unnecessary, including alarms triggered by shower steam.
Patterson also said Salvo House receives cockroach treatment twice monthly. However, he acknowledged that the schedule might need reassessment with the pest control provider and said trash inside some units complicates treatment.
To address security concerns, Kimble said monitoring by police officers and a private security firm covers Salvo and Cahill four days weekly, according to the Gazette. She also plans to seek state approval for a reorganization that would add maintenance and administrative staff.
Beyond Northampton's maintenance complaints, landlords across the country have also been reported to prevent gardening and clothesline use — lifestyle changes renters may pursue to save money. For discussions about changing established rules, the resource on working with HOAs may help frame requests to landlords, though HOAs and housing authorities are different entities.
Comerford urged residents to continue pressing officials for accountability: "I believe that government can work in the best interest of everybody. It can and it should, but the difference between government working, and not working, is your advocacy."
Where can I learn more?
Renters beyond Northampton have also raised concerns about pests and overdue repairs. These stories follow tenants dealing with neglected housing, organizing for repairs, and pursuing legal relief.
• Chicago tenants say mice, roaches, and leaks persisted, with the owner now in court.
• Kentucky tenants say mice, mold, and repair delays pushed them to form a union.
• New Jersey tenants at five buildings launch a rent strike, citing rats and leaks.
• Missouri tenants won nearly $4 million, debt relief, and repairs after years of complaints.
• New York tenants say their landlord left them without heat or hot water.
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