Terminating Rent Supps + Chapter 40T

A meeting with corporate landlords, management, tenants, and their representatives will be held at 52 Hannah Way, Rockland Mass. tonight, 10/9/2014 at 6:00 pm to discuss the termination of some rent supplements, info regarding project-based subsidies, and Title VII, Chapter 40T of the Massachusetts General Laws.  What does it all mean to you and your family?  It may be helpful to take a look at the following links before attending this meeting:
 * http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3890
**http://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40T

Tenants Targeted

      Though it's not professional, ethical, or legal for property managers, landlords, and corporate partners to target tenants, it happens on a regular basis by select partnerships and corporations at various subsidized housing complexes throughout Massachusetts. Confidential information tenants are required to provide landlords, in order to secure an apartment or voice an objection, is sometimes shared with other tenants by corporations.  Most often, the "crazy lady on the third floor" fiction that criminal property managers share is deliberately inaccurate in attempts to isolate and discredit individual tenants trying to improve their living environments.  Sometimes gossip spread by property managers encourage other tenants to harass legitimate tenants off the subsidized property, sometimes forcing them into homelessness. Other times a property manager's words serve to secretly intervene in a tenants' group and persuades other tenants not to vote for certain tenants likely to benefit the group. 
      In August 2014, tenants will again have the privilege to vote for good individuals to serve on the board of Clarendon Hill Towers Tenants Association (CHTTA).   (Ms. Hamilton, which tenant did you tell other tenants NOT to vote for?)   According to recent information received, First Hartford Corporation (FHRC) is attempting to influence tenants' votes at Clarendon Hill Towers in Somerville, MA.  And, it certainly isn't the first time First Hartford Corp. (FHRC), and some of their affiliated partners acted illegally, deceptively, and fraudulently.    For too many years now, certain corporate landlords have abused their powers of influence to pit tenant against tenant.  In the process, they quietly sit back and get their corporate needs of harassments and vindictiveness met.
       It's no coincidence these patterns of illegal behaviors continue on in a variety of HUD-financed housing complexes.  These corporate partners own and manage numerous subsidized housing complexes under a variety of partnership names throughout the United States.  They discriminate and target vulnerable and unrepresented tenants with numerous eviction proceedings. Some medically disadvantaged tenants have been forced to endure ten years of retaliatory and frivolous eviction proceedings, allowed by the housing courts.  A handful of tenants, with good witnesses and evidence, have successfully sued these partnerships, but have been urged to sign 'documents of silence' as part of a settlement agreement.
    It's disturbing to see these illegal and unethical patterns of abuse continue after so many years of reporting it to courts and public servants in government agencies. There is a great imbalance of power when certain corporate partners serve on Boards, in government agencies, or are connected to those in political office.  It should be considered bribery and/or an act of treason when big money influences enforcement of our Bill of Rights and Fair Housing laws. 
     
     In the meantime, citizens ask:  Why are so many employees from Cornerstone Corporation employed by FHRC in at least two different housing complexes with the same law firm of so-called "previous owners" of these properties?  Will a strong tenants' group ever be allowed to exist at Spring Gate Apts?  Will competent attorneys be readily available for legitimately needy tenants who exercise their rights in subsidized housing or will the housing courts allow corporate landlords to continue in the victimization of vulnerable citizens?  And, what the heck has been going on with First Hartford Corp. (FHRC), Connolly and Partners, LLC, Boston Capital, and the security companies at Rockland Place and Spring Gate Apartments in Rockland, Massachusetts?   
     Do you live in, or have you survived subsidized housing?  If so, don't continue to live in fear; share your true stories.  And, yes, appropriate agencies and appropriate corporations are aware of this blog's existence.  (A lot of good that does.)  Stay connected to read an upcoming article on the unusual and 'unsecured security practices' at the Rockland housing complex, updates on tenant groups, and more!

Enforcements Needed in Housing Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of a measure to fund the nation’s housing programs today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Democrat and Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, blamed Republicans today for undercutting important housing programs that protect our most vulnerable populations.

      The legislation, known as the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill, slashes or provides insufficient funding for a number of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) public and assisted housing programs. These include over $500 million in cuts to important rental assistance and anti-homelessness programs. The measure cuts HUD’s Public Housing Program below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, while funding HUD’s Public Housing Capital Fund to its lowest level since the 1980s.

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Factually speaking, there is much fraud, waste, abuse, and discrimination allowed in the subsidized housing program.  Unless laws and HUD's Rules and Regulations are enforced, wastefulness and violations will continue. The Fair Housing Act and Discrimination Laws are useless without enforcements in place for legitimate and vulnerable tenants too often abused and denied protections while exercising their Constitutional Rights. Some corporate landlords and managers favor housing friends, relatives, and unusual businesses in place of those most needy.

    This blog recently received more information about some possible conflicts of interests regarding friends and/or relatives of Ms. Hamilton, who allegedly get special privileges other tenants do not.  We're not attorneys, but if true, it would be a violation of The Fair Housing Act and could also be considered a conflict of interest for Ms. Booth to serve on the Corporate Management team and to also share a position on the Tenants' Council at Clarendon Hill Towers (CHTTA).

      We're still attempting to get more information from other residents on this matter and any other.  You can send in some photos too, if you feel safe enough to be seen with a camera.   Do any vulnerable tenants under the Housing Program dare to speak out when the Legal Aid Program may not have an attorney available to defend you during a retaliatory eviction proceeding at the Housing Court?  You can write in anonymously, but then again, Americans lack much privacy nowadays.

Listening Sessions and Rights Education

The Human Rights Commission is scheduling listening session outreach as well as education activities in the Somerville, MA community.  They will be advertising in the community when they have something scheduled.  For example, this week the Director of The Human Rights Commission will be presenting a one-hour rights education at the coffee hour.  Commissioners will be providing Listening Sessions from the community at various public events. For further information:

Program of the Somerville Health Department

City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Avenue, Somerville, MA 02145

617.625.6600 x2406 --  (TTY) 1.866.808.4851

Abusive Patterns Ring Bells in HUD Housing

Recently we received more information from tenants in another subsidized housing complex managed by Cornerstone Corp., Connolly and Partners LLC, First Hartford Corporation (FHRC), and their Tenants Association. Like other tenants in other complexes, these tenants recognize they will be forced to endure frivolous eviction proceedings for speaking out if their names were exposed.  Considering the long history and patterns of retaliation attempts and abuse by owners, investors, and managers on these subsidized properties, tenants' fear of retaliation is very much justified. 

     One resident requested we write an article of interest on how Mr. Laham of McNeil Assoc., then Cornerstone Corp., allegedly made a deal with Clarendon Hill Towers at dinner with Bill Connolly and Linda Hamilton of Connolly and Partners LLC and FHRC prior to contracts being signed with Clarendon Hill Towers.  To be better able to do this, we would need more details and other information for better clarification. Some items of interest have already been written about.  Those articles can be found in our archives in the column to the left of this page.

     In the meantime, we continue to process the information received by tenants in various housing complexes.  There is most definitely a familiar pattern of abuse happening on these HUD-financed properties to do with favoritisms, drugs, serious unfair housing issues, deliberate harassments by corporate partners, interference in tenants organizations, conflicts of interests, unethical practices in regard to waiting lists and construction bids, etc. etc.   Stay connected!   

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2013/06/15/evictions-discrimination-complaints-raise-questions-clarendon-hill-complex-somerville/U9o77K1GBV9jI4lK2F0RTK/story.html

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After Corporate Landlords Get Billions in Funds
to Renovate at least two different housing complexes,
fires start from faulty materials. More than
$100,000 gets collected from Insurance Policies.

Here's a news item we missed from the Somerville Patch in January 2013.

     Somerville Fire Chief, Kevin Kelleher said a repair man who had been working on the generator was finishing up his work when the generator caught on fire.
      The fire broke out at about 10:30 a.m., and by around 11:15 a.m. firefighters had it under control. Kelleher classified it as a "small fire."
      There were no reported injuries, and "right now it looks like everyone's going to stay in the building," Kelleher said at that time. Had the fire and smoke been worse, the fire department may have been forced to evacuate the entire building.
     Clarendon Hill Towers is a large affordable housing complex .......
          Ward 7 Alderman, Robert Trane, who was on the scene, said neighbors had called him several times "to complain about this generator," which made lots of noise.
      The fire heavily damaged the generator and nearby electrical wiring and conduits, leading to more than $100,000 worth of damage, according to an email from Deputy Fire Chief, Charles Breen.
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And another item we missed for October 2006.

Location: Rockland Place/Spring Gate Apts., Hannah Way F , Rockland, MA 02370Fire Department: Rockland, MA 02370,  ID: 23251,  Incident #: 2187,  Station: 1,  Shift/Platoon: 2Incident Type: Heat from short circuit (wiring), defective or worn insulation.Alarm Time: 10/26/2006 22:28,  Arrival Time: 10/26/2006 22:32,  Last Unit Cleared Time: 10/26/2006 22:49Action taken: Investigate. Includes investigations done on arrival to determine the situation and post incident investigations; and collecting incident information for incident reporting purposes.

The Good and Bad of Project-Based Vouchers

Michael Kane of National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT) has been busy trying to keep elderly, disabled, and low-income Americans from becoming homeless.  To read about this organization's efforts in preserving affordable housing, and to learn more about Project Based Vouchers (PBV), go here:  http://www.saveourhomes.org/naht_files/NAHT%20Wins%20Legislation%20to%20Save%20At%20Risk%20Housing.pdf
    If you'd like to become more involved in the preservation of your affordable housing, don't wait until it's too late, go here:  http://www.saveourhomes.org/

As for myself, I think housing complexes like Rockland Place dba Spring Gate Apartments feed into an extreme imbalance and abuse of power, unfair housing, human rights violations, and even corruption.  The big-butt corporate landlords at this subsidized housing complex have proven to be above the law with their one-sided lease agreements, retaliations, intimidation tactics, and attempted swindles.
     Residents need to be kept better informed.  Tenants should be able to find out the name of each and every individual involved in the ownership of any subsidized property, along with other data necessary to manage their lives and to better protect themselves. Visit this site:  http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0420.pdf

SpringGate Shuffle

    Home used to be a place to unwind, relax, recuperate, and escape from the outside world.  However, 'home' at Rockland Place / SpringGate Apartments feels more like a business enterprise where residents haven't much say on when and who enters the place called 'home'. It appears schemes of getting investors huge sums of government money takes priority over quality of residential life at this 204-unit subsidized apartment complex. 'Home' feels more like an illegitimate office park where various corporate visitors trample through your 'home' several times a year.  It's a place that's become nearly impossible to enjoy any quality of life or privacy.
     Rockland Place residents just received four different notices in 2-days listing various dates for more inspections by more corporate strangers for various reasons.   So if any Spring Gate resident had previous plans on April 9th to use their home for a planned birthday party or other personal event, you'd be out of luck.  Afterall, you might be one of the lucky 20 residents to have another group of corporate strangers walking through your home today, whether or not you're in attendance, and whether or not it's inconvenient.  And, if you're not one of the lucky 20 households chosen to receive unfamiliar visitors today, you won't have the opportunity to know about it until after you cancelled your plans and wasted your day waiting.   
    On April 9, 2014 (today) a representative from FinePoint ___ LLC will be on the property to conduct a compliance review on behalf of Dept. Housing Community Development (DHCD).  Since there will be no additional notice regarding which apartments will be inspected again, all rent-payers should prepare for this visit inside their homes. While you're waiting for these strangers to appear, you can probably twiddle your thumbs and look out your apartment windows to enjoy the "wooded view".  Hopefully, you won't see anyone hanging themselves from one of the trees nearby. 
    Hope you didn't plan on catching a few Zzzzz's on the 9th or 10th day of April.  On April 10th,  Fire Alarm Systems Inc. will be conducting fire alarm inspections and testings in all first floor apartments throughout the property.  All rent-payers can once again enjoy the sound of fire horns throughout the day.  
    Considering some of the previous fires and a disturbed Rockland Place resident who was recently arrested for setting a large fire in Weymouth, keeping halls clutter-free should be enforced throughout the entire year and not just during times of inspections.
 Jon F. Fernald, 44, of 150 Martha Drive, Rockland, told police that he had been a customer at the Amazing Intimate Essentials store at 138 Bridge St. and that he blamed the store for getting him addicted to porn...  (Read more here....) http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20140409/NEWS/140406291/12331/NEWS
     On April 24th at 6pm, all residents of Rockland Place and SpringGate Apartments will have another opportunity to meet Mr. 'affordability into perpetuity' Joe Armstrong of Scituate, Mass.  Like a smooth talking salesman, he'll answer your questions in favor of those who write him a check.  Where are those security cameras they promised residents in 2005?  Where are those security cameras they used as a recent excuse to increase subsidized rents?   Several residents wonder why they're not seeing security guards walking around the troubled property.
         To explore some of the unfamiliar names of various housing vouchers mentioned in recent notices, residents may be able to visit the following websites on those old Dell computers in the community room at 52 Hannah Way (if the computers are working):
*https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=12-03hsgn.pdf
*http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/pha_homelessness.pdf
*http://www.mass.gov/hed/housing/rental-assistance/s8pbv.html

Hope Remains for Spring Gate Apartments

Because a multifamily property on the Southside of Atlanta, Georgia could clean up crime and unauthorized occupancy problems, hope remains for Rockland Place dba Spring Gate Apartments in Rockland, Massachusetts to do the same.   It really all depends on the actions and inactions of property owners and management of this government subsidized housing complex.   Do they care enough to act responsibly?      
     Thankfully, some owners of multifamily housing still give a hoot about including each and every occupants' full income and their name on a lease agreement.  It's only fair, legal, and appropriate that this rule be applied for every unit occupied.   After reading the following linked article, it looks as though some multifamily property owners still care about The Fair Housing Act and enforcing their lease agreements to obtain a safe and decent living environment for legitimate occupants!   ........... "Crime is our industry's dirty little secret," says Brent Sobol, an apartment owner and crime-prevention consultant. "Everybody’s got it, to some degree, but no one wants to talk about it or admit it." ...........  Read more here: http://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/property-management/safety-first-crime-prevention-efforts-pay-dividends_o.aspx

A Glimpse at Who Management Rents To

January 2, 2014: Somerville Police arrested a Rockland, Massachusetts man after he reportedly slashed a window screen and tried climbing through the window into someone else’s house. Christopher Carreiro, 30, 81D Hannah Way was arrested on Mount Vernon or Vernon Street on a charge of breaking and entering daytime for a felony.  The Rockland Place / Spring Gate Apt., multifamily housing tenant was wearing a black jacket with a silver hood while using a pail to enter a back window. He already had one of his legs inside the home and a folding knife in his right jacket pocket.  Read more about it here: http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/mobiletopstories/x1903522866/Somerville-police-Rockland-man-caught-climbing-in-through-window?utm=c