Village Court becoming worse for residents

Aug 18, 2011

Dear Editor,

A huge credibility gap exists between rational-thinking tenants and the Mattapoisett Housing Authority. The regularly scheduled MHA Board of Commissioner/tenant meeting held August 11, 2011 contained blatant inconsistencies concerning who was responsible for ordering the sliding glass doors bolted shut from the outside during the early morning hours of June 2, 2011. At the June 9, 2011 Mattapoisett Housing Authority Board of Commissioners/tenant meeting, its Executive Director Louise Sousa said "Boston" and the "State" were responsible for ordering the sliding glass doors bolted shut. When tenants inquired as to who in "Boston," Sousa replied, "I don't remember; I don't know. I can check in the office. It was done as an experiment."

Two months later at the August 11, 2011, MHA/tenant meeting a state appointed board of commissioners member revealed the maintenance man "took it upon himself to bolt the sliding glass doors shut." How preposterous is that! If true, why did the executive director blame "Boston" and the "State?" Carrie Sousa, housing specialist for the Department of Housing and Community Development was asked in a letter dated June 9, 2011 as to who was responsible for ordering doors bolted from the outside. In a phone conversation she said DHCD "never, never, never ordered those doors bolted from the outside."

It seems the Board of Commissioners is covering up a crime. Is the state-appointed board member protecting Executive Director Louise Sousa? Why did the state-appointed board member blame the maintenance man? Did the Board of Commissioners give the order to bolt the doors in concert with Louise Sousa? Why hasn't anyone been held responsible for lying, cheating and covering up this crime? Why wasn't the executive director supervising the maintenance man? Why hasn't anyone been held accountable, responsible and fired? Clearly, the MHA has lost its moral compass.

We need a top to bottom forensic investigation of the MHA; tenants deserve to know the truth as to who ordered the sliding glass doors bolted shut from the outside and why. This was a reckless criminal act perpetrated on the town's most vulnerable citizens, and those responsible must be held accountable in a court of law. Why would any rational thinking and reasonable person who is charged with protecting the most fragile and vulnerable citizens lock doors from the outside?

Although the outside bolts were removed, tenants are now being told the inside doors handles used to open doors will be removed. What is the difference? You still will not be able to open the doors for fresh air and egress. Tenants were told air circulators bring in fresh outside air. The highly touted air circulators pull in 20 percent outside air [the air is hot in the summer and cool in the winter] and recirculates 80 percent of the inside air. It's like being on a plane and breathing everyone's germs. To add further insult, tenants were advised to get their fresh air from a small bedroom window. But, there is a problem; the complex is built on wetlands and methane gas released from the wet boggy soil has a strong, unpleasant odor.

Also, tenants have been told the sliding glass doors on the first level are to be boarded up for tenants health and safety. So, am I to interpret this to mean that we have been living dangerously with the sliding glass doors for 30 years and the executive director didn't care? I suggest the old sliding glass doors be replaced with new ones, and housing authority officials who did not do nor oversee the routine preventative maintenance over the years should be fired and their pension benefits used for purchasing new doors.

Sincerely,

 

Sharon Duggan

Mattapoisett