Keep Public Housing Local

The term “public housing” has a negative stigma attached to it. However, many people never see behind the scenes.  As a Public Housing employee for over ten years, I have helped many families, elderly and disabled persons gain access to affordable housing. One family, in particular sticks in my mind.

A young, disabled veteran, his wife who had also been in the mil...itary, and their young children suddenly found themselves homeless after the “government” told them they had two weeks to find alternative housing and had to move off the base. They came to the Housing Office where I worked and begged with tears in their eyes for a place they could affordably call home. Luckily, we had available apartments at the time and they were housed within approximately one month! That is just one success story!

There are others, unfortunately, who come pleading for help and a place to live but the lists are long and no units are available. Have you ever had to turn a desperate, pleading, tearful veteran away explaining fruitlessly how sorry you are that you cannot help?

Governor Patrick wants to create an even bigger bureaucracy by regionalizing Public Housing in Massachusetts. Come visit these thankful people who reside in a Public Housing unit and you’ll see why it’s so important that public housing should be local! (#publichousingshouldbelocal). By regionalizing public housing, you take away the one-on-one daily contact and make it even more difficult for the residents who live in affordable housing to get the day-to-day assistance they need. Those applying for housing will then have to wait even longer for a place to live with no one available to assist with the application process.