[act-ma] Join Low Income Tenants in Brighton Saturday December 3 to Celebrate a Victory!

[Kay Mathew]

Brighton Tenants Stop Displacement
Vow to Save Their Homes

Low Income Tenants in Brighton Save Their Homes!
Join us Saturday December 3, 2011 at 11:00 AM to celebrate Warren Hall Apartments’ Victory!

Please join us at Warren Hall Apartments 335 Washington Street, Brighton (near St. Elizabeth’s Hospital).  Including low income tenants from Warren Hall Apartments; supporters from the Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants and the Allston-Brighton community; invited representatives from HUD in DC and Boston, US Senator Scott Brown, Rep. Barney Frank, and State Representative Kevin Honan

In May, 33 low income elderly, disabled and working tenants at Warren Hall Apartments learned from Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants (MAHT) that the 40 year HUD contracts that keep rents affordable at their apartments expire on December 1, 2011which would have left tenants with rents that tripled overnight.   There were no tenant protections or subsidies to prevent displacement. 

Yet Warren Hall Tenants Association won significant victories that give tenants at least five years time, plus new subsidy protections so that no one will be out on the street, and national legislation to preserve affordable housing.  Vouchers will ensure that no one will be homeless and will reduce rents for 12 very low income elderly tenants.   

The New York based absentee landlord had failed to comply with 40T.   On Saturday, tenants will thank Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Brighton) getting the State to enforce Chapter 40T, a law that requires extra notice and a three year rent limitation from owners when HUD contracts end.   
Saturday’s speakers will include Warren Hall tenant leader Dave Horan, who along with other MAHT tenants secured a commitment from Washington HUD officials to provide Section 8 vouchers at Warren Hall.  
Speakers will also thank U.S. Senator Scott Brown and Rep. Barney Frank, who helped pass the HUD Appropriations bill two weeks ago allowing the subsidies at Warren Hall to be converted to “Project Based Vouchers.”   This will allow the owner of Warren Hall to refinance and make needed major repairs while keeping low income rents.  Brown co-sponsored the no-cost “Merkley-Brown” amendment to permanently save Warren Hall and up to 50,000 similarly at-risk apartments nationwide.       

On Saturday, tenants and supporters will call for additional legislation to save and fully fund affordable housing.   

Speakers will also call on the current owner to sell to a nonprofit purchaser to make needed repairs and secure affordable housing for the Brighton community.    

Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants
42 Seaverns Avenue
Jamaica Plain, MA  02130
617.267.2949 or 617.233.1885
saveourhomes.org/maht
 
 











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