By GLYNIS HART
[email protected]
CLAREMONT — Sugar River Mills senior housing is a good example of what could be done with old mill buildings; senior and disabled residents live in the converted stone building and a group of townhomes off Main Street. Preserve Our Affordable Housing (POAH) Communities, which owns the Claremont property as well as similar HUD-funded housing in 12 states, renovated the property and receives Section 8 reimbursements for residents’ rent.
The latest upgrades to the building were in 2011, affecting elevators, the HVAC systems, the building envelope and new siding and roofing. The converted mill buildings include an inner atrium, letting light in from several stories up, and an indoor garden where residents can sit by the plants and hear the fountain. Tenants say they love the buildings themselves, which are clean and nicely kept as well as attractively designed.
Verbal abuse of
tenants by tenants
However, a group of tenants complain that the management supports a hostile environment, tolerating and participating in bullying of the tenants. They further allege that tenants abuse one another and management does little to stop it.
“It’s constant chaos in here; the police are here on a daily basis,” said Cheryl Bedell. “You’re afraid to come out of your apartment because [the management] goes by hearsay — tenants reporting against tenants.”
“We need an intermediary between us and the management,” said Mary Taylor. “I got written up for having my car parked in front of the building, but it wasn’t my car.”
Three women who agreed to be identified by name came forward, but others who requested confidentiality supported their complaints. They describe management yelling at residents, threatening them with eviction, and even allege being sexually harassed by a member of the staff.
Tenants say their complaints are ignored or referred back to management. Calls by this newspaper to the POAH consumer hotline, to which tenants are referred by Sugar River Mills policy, did not receive a response.
However, Chris Kilmurry, the regional manager for POAH in New England, responded to questions via email. “We take customer service and satisfaction very seriously at POAH communities,” wrote Kilmurry. In addition to the customer service line, POAH includes other contact information on its website. (The Eagle Times was able to reach Kilmurry through information at the website. Property manager Martha Leinhoff and Kilmurry responded to email.)
Section 8 guarantees that the residents pay 30 percent of their incomes for housing. Tenants provide information on their income and expenses to Leinhoff, who also determines their eligibility for Section 8 and their share of their rent.
Leinhoff provided this reporter with a copy of HUD’s tenants rights, which include the right to be free from eviction except from specific causes spelled out in the lease.
But the tenants say threats to evict them are used frequently and not always based in fact.
“I got a violation for my dog barking while we were away,” said Barb Sinclair, whose dog was not in the apartment at the time. “If you get three violations, they hand you an eviction notice.”
Sinclair believes she was retaliated against for complaining. When her wife passed away in December, Sinclair said Leinhoff gave her 24 hours to move to a smaller apartment. “I was going to get evicted and have to pay rent in both apartments if I didn’t,” said Sinclair.
Such an eviction would go against POAH policy, which is that residents waiting for another unit get 20-30 days advance notice when an apartment becomes available. Transferring families are supposed get two days to complete the move.
Tenants say they have little redress if they are “written up” for violations that are not in the lease. Sinclair further said Leinhoff threatened to evict her if she spoke to the newspaper.
Kilmurry, asked about this, wrote, “Residents may speak with the media without interference from management. POAH Communities does not threaten residents with eviction for any reason.”
POAH communities have an open door policy, he continued, and residents are welcome to discuss issues with management. They can also talk with POAH’s director of risk management.
High stakes:
homelessness
In order to qualify for housing at Sugar River Mills, one must be over 55 years of age or mentally or physically disabled in some way. The waiting list for apartments is three years.
“I was on the streets in Boston for two years,” said Sinclair. “If they evict me, I’m homeless.”
“Once you get kicked out of a HUD building,” said Bedell, “You can never get in one again. You’d better hope your family will take you in.”
Again, POAH policy does not support this. Kilmurry: “Sugar River Mills has an open door policy and values resident relations and makes every effort to resolve differences between residents or to accommodate residents experiencing difficulties so as to avoid displacement.”
Bedell, about 5-foot-4-inches tall with shoes on, said she was sexually harassed last year by head of maintenance Carl “Chiefy” Desilets, approximately 6-foot-3-inches tall and a former girls basketball coach.
Bedell complained to Leinhoff and sought an order of protection from city court. However, she said she was unable to get legal representation and the court did not grant her the order. In a letter to Bedell, Leinhoff responded that an internal investigation cleared Desilets, but promised Desilets would not work in an area of the building when Bedell needed to be there.
However, Bedell said she’s not the only one to experience harassment, just the only one bold enough to come forward.
“If nobody stands up to them it will never stop,” said Bedell.
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