Rent Increase Meeting

Wednesday, 5-23-07, a meeting was held to discuss another request by corporate landlord(s) to raise rents again. Without seeing receipts, residents have no way of knowing the accuracy of those figures provided on the budget sheet. However inprecise their listed expenses may or may not be, the added figures listed in some columns don't appear to coincide.

Considering the high and long standing vacancy rate, lease violations, poor or unsafe living conditions, waste and abuse, false promises made for last year's granted rent increase, personal property damages, time and labor with other inconveniences suffered by residents, unfair housing according to fair housing laws, etc. , granting another rent increase would be unreasonable and unfair.

Not many residents attended the meeting on May 23, 2007. The notice incorrectly stated the management office is still located at 30 Martha Drive, instead of 52 Hannah Way.

Housing Hazards

Quality Housing Needed

Living conditions are chaotic. Residents can not plan their lives under these unpredictable conditions. Conditions are not in compliance with lease agreements and laws. Water has been turned off without 24-hour notice. Tenants are provided little accommodation, if any. Personal property has been damaged during poorly-planned renovations. Shoddy roof repairs first began in September 2006 and caused many residents to suffer ceiling leaks and more careless inconveniences. Landlord(s) still refuse to provide residents with property insurance information, according to Massachusetts General Laws and according to a written statement made to MassHousing during their last increase of rents. Promises have not been kept.

This is not a 'welcoming environment'. Home life is extremely stressful here. Residents living in poverty need better alternatives for housing. They don't need to be unexpectedly and unknowingly removed from section 8 voucher waiting lists while receiving frivolous letters of eviction for reporting violations or correcting dates on numerous misdated documents. This situation is more than inconsiderate and abusive to people who pay rent!

Valves Installed under Platform in Halls

This blue tank was installed in several hallways in wooden structured buildings. Some are very noisy and add intense heat to the hallways.
New corporate partners added these tanks, valves, and numerous pipes throughout the hallways and sealed up the mess behind the ceilings and walls.

(Several valve photos and other photos depicting violations mysteriously vanished from this blog.)

Limited Choices

Living in a cage
with bottled rage -
Unhealthy for any age.
Limited choices - diminished voices ...

~And so this page.

Repression Leads to Depression

A community that represses artistic expression will find itself suffering from symptoms such as substance abuse, juvenile crime, gang violence, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and other marks of malaise.

Copyrights

It is forbidden to copy or reproduce any image and/or text from this blog
without prior written permission from originator(s)... Typograp@gmail.com
copyright 2007 ~ All Rights Reserved.

Unfair Housing (Enforcements Needed)

Can you imagine driving home at night and not having a place to park your vehicle? Considering you can't bring your car inside your house and you can't leave your car parked in the middle of the street, you would be denied access to your home. Should low-income persons be denied access to their rented apartments?

The current parking policy at this subsidized housing complex deliberately impedes equal access to housing for certain households. It is unfair housing when some households can't rely on at least one place to park just one vehicle at their place of residence.

March 2006, a legal resident of this housing complex parked one registered vehicle in a parking spot overnight. It was parked according to Management's parking policy with a parking sticker appropriately posted in the rear window. The following day, she went to use her car, but it was missing. To make a long story short, the resident eventually discovered it was illegally towed away by Management's tow company, South Shore Auto Recovery. Albion's Tow truck returned the vehicle to the property with an apology.

In 2007, this happened to another resident, also with just one vehicle appropriately parked on this subsidized property. When the driver discovered it was illegally removed from this property, his vehicle was towed back by South Shore Auto Recovery. I can't imagine a private landlord getting away with towing their tenant's vehicle from a driveway when it complies with a landlord's parking policy, especially if it happened more than once. Could we 'accidentally' take a person's vehicle without being charged with theft? Do low-income persons have any enforceable right to security or peace of mind? I can't recall agreeing to trade my American rights away in order to live in HUD housing. Is this now a requirement?

May 2007, one of the residents mentioned in this article had a $30. ticket placed on her vehicle because there were no available parking spots at her place of residence. It is unfair housing when there is not at least one reliable parking spot for each household, especially in a Town that offers little or no accessible transportation and no grocery stores. There are 204 apartments (not all vacated), with at least 214 parking spaces. Each household should be provided at least one parking space, whether they own or legally borrow that vehicle. What is a resident to do when they can't gain access to their rented apartment overnight because vehicles don't conveniently fold up like accordions?

Additionally, by setting policies and then selectively and inconsistently enforcing these policies, a landlord deliberately denies some households equal access to housing opportunities. This is discrimination and goes against Federal Fair Housing laws. It's been my experience that this corporate management has taken full advantage of our government's deliberate lethargy to enforce our laws, especially when it comes to Americans living in poverty.