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This is the last installment of our in-depth coverage of the Ward 6 election trial (Ryan v. the City of Salem, et al.)
The issue of tenant intimidation came up in court during testimony by a poll worker who provided Spanish-language interpretation. Ryan's attorney, Mary-Ellen Manning, raised issues about the Salem Housing Authority (SHA) numerous times thereafter. The interpreter, who has been named elsewhere, but whom we shall call Rosa, was called to testify about her role in helping to clarify the need for one voter to have an ID with a Salem address. While on the stand, Rosa stated she feared retaliation from the SHA for being present in court.
She stated during her testimony that “I’m in housing, and sometimes housing will affect us living there. We live in housing and when we come to court or any of this they will tell us to move.” Judge Lu said he had taken her fear of retaliation seriously when he weighed her testimony before rendering his decision.
Some context: the SHA owns and manages 715 units of state- and federally funded public housing in Salem. The SHA’s board consists of 5 members who are legally responsible for overall operations, while day to day activities are administered by an executive director and staff. The Board (aka “the Authority”) consists of five individuals. One member is appointed by the Commonwealth and four members are appointed by the mayor. Two mayoral appointments must be filled by (1) a labor representative and (2) a resident of SHA, pulled respectively from a list of names submitted by a local labor group and the Local Tenants Organization (LTO). The other two seats have no designation and can be filled at the mayor's discretion.
LWVS began following the happenings at SHA just as Mayor Driscoll took her seat on the five-member board. Driscoll was appointed by the Commonwealth.
At one of our first SHA meetings, we heard tenants complain about rights violations and intimidation by the executive director at that time. We were there the night that every board member, except Driscoll, voted to take money out of tenant funding to pay for a $5000 retirement party for that executive director, which was an egregious example of the problems at the SHA. The vote was rescinded and the existing board started to turn over quickly. With four new board members, they hired a new executive director who promises to take the SHA in a new direction.
LWVS continues to attend SHA board meeting and we’ve been pleased with the expansion of LTOs that represent a third of SHA public housing units. We also have it on "good authority" that the current board takes Rosa's testimony quite seriously, and will actively work with tenants to create a culture of trust between the administration and residents in Salem public housing.
Retaliatory evictions are illegal, so Rosa can rest easy. We do encourage tenants to know their rights and have compiled a few useful resources here for you.
https://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/tenants-rights-in-public-housing
https://www.hud.gov/states/massachusetts/renting/tenantrights
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-public-housing
LWVS will always stand with Salem tenants who exert their legal rights and freedom of speech.