Affordable Housing Institute : US

Even allowing for its tone of sanctimonious, you-do-I-critique grandstanding quality, a recent State Auditor’s Office report [5 Meg link in .pdf] on Massachusetts public housing paints a depressing and grim picture of an inventory suffering from financial starvation, as reported in this recent Boston Globe story:

 

The state auditor blasted the Romney administration’s funding of public housing yesterday [That is, October 5 — Ed.], saying that thousands of residents — including the working poor, disabled veterans, and the elderly — are living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

 

 

More than 1,000 units are in such disrepair that they are sitting vacant, even as 81,000 people are on waiting lists, according to a report issued by state Auditor A. Joseph DeNucci.

 

DeNucci is happy to point out problems

 

That’s really discouraging given the shortage of affordable housing in Massachusetts, but under state law, they generally cannot be demolished:

 

In Massachusetts — the only state besides New York to provide state-funded public housing — state law forbids the demolition of any of its 50,000 public-housing units unless severe circumstances, such as dilapidation or natural disaster, make it necessary. Even then, the law requires that every unit be replaced by another in the same spot.

 

 

In addition, the review of 66 of 247 housing authorities statewide cited many examples of health and safety issues, including missing hand railings,

 

 

cracked and damaged foundations,

 

 

deteriorating concrete on stairs and sidewalks,

 

 

extensive mold and mildew damage,

 

 

rotted window frames, and

 

 

areas damaged by rodent and insect infestation.

 

 

At one development that had been reviewed by auditors on Clifford Avenue in Brockton, a sign had been posted on the door by the city’s Health Department declaring that the unit was “unfit for human habitation.”

 

 

What’s the problem?  I previously featured it: the public housing system is going financially broke, and housing authorities have to conduct financial and operational triage.

 

 

The report largely blames the problems on underfunding and mismanagement, saying that the agency had owed the local authorities more than $7.75 million in overdue subsidies for fiscal years 2002 through 2005.

 

Eternal affordable housing pioneer Massachusetts is one of only two states with its own public housing (New York is the other).  Just as New York is the cradle of American apartment living, Massachusetts is the cradle of affordable housing innovation, and the two states are paying the penalty for having been the first.  South Boston’s Old Harbor Village (now renamed Mary Ellen McCormack), built in 1938, is the nation’s first public housing project, still occupied and in use, 1,016 walkup apartments still suffering from design choices that were best-in-class seventy years ago and are horribly obsolescent today.

 

Doing the best the BHA can to make it look good

 

As a result, for these apartments there is no distant Federal role to blame for the shortfalls.  The problem is right here in Boston:

 

Although the money was distributed in late July, the report said, the delay forced authorities to put off much-needed maintenance and repairs, reduce staff and salaries, and deplete reserve funds [just like New York’s — Ed.].

 

As an arm of government a public owner, in addition to being subject to any landlord’s normal ‘warrant of habitability’ requirements, has an affirmative duty to house:

 

The financial mismanagement [The auditor’s self-righteous phrase, not mine! — Ed.] also raises legal issues, the report said, because state law mandates safe and sanitary conditions in public housing.

 

Any time the government factory mandates, it should correspondingly fund.

 

You do it to me, I do it to you.

 

In its defense, DHCD points out that the specific properties cited by the auditor constitute only one-half of one percent (that is, 1 out of every 200) Massachusetts public housing apartments. 

 

Yet that particular statistic is belied by the report’s one thousand uninhabitable apartments (themselves 1.25% of the inventory).  And judging from my own limited observation, even allowing for the auditor’s laser-like camera focus on the “rats, roaches, and bad plumbing” as my long-time professional colleague Helen Dunlap always wryly described journalistic exposes on housing, the conditions are poor —-and probably getting worse.

 

State officials, who said they saw a draft of the report months ago, challenged the findings, saying 70% of the problems have either been fixed or are in the process of being fixed.

 

Such a stirring defense, almost as good as this one:

 

Dear Sir,

 

I am glad to hear that your studio audience disapproves of the last skit as strongly as I. As a naval officer I abhor the implication that the Royal Navy is a haven for cannibalism.

 

 

It is well known that we have the problem relatively under control, and that it is the RAF who now suffer the largest casualties in this area.  And what do you think the Argylls ate in Aden, Arabs?

 

Hungry, my lads?

 

Back to DHCD:

 

“At face value, we don’t necessarily agree with everything that’s in the audit,” said Phil Hailer, spokesman for the Department of Housing and Community Development.

 

Over the past year the department has made some improvements, Hailer said, by making repairs to units, and by computerizing its budgeting system to better keep track of problems at different housing authorities.

 

In addition, he said, the appropriation for public housing has increased by $11 million this fiscal year to $45 million, Hailer said.

 

That’s a big boost.  Forgive me for thinking it’s not enough.

 

After such an admission, can I ever trust AHI blog posts again?

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