HOI Transfers Sun Cleaners to North Adams
The Housing Authority hopes to dissolve the HOI finally.
The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, which also serves as the HOI board, met with attorney Elisabeth Goodman a week ago to go over some of the final steps the board must take to disband.
"It has been 10 years of hard work and struggle and it comes down to these papers," Housing Authority Executive Director Jennifer Hohn said.
Housing Opportunities, a 30-year-old program created to help first-time homeowners, has been trying to dissolve for almost 10 years.
Almost two years ago, the Housing Authority Board transferred all assets to the city accept two: a house on Bracewell Avenue used as permanent supportive housing was given to Louison House, and Sun Cleaners, which the city was hesitant to take without environmental testing.
With 111 River St. still in limbo, HOI held on to its $271,363.93 check while environmental testing was conducted.
This testing was completed this year and a report this summer that stated some clean up was needed. The funds left from HOI's closed-out account will be able to cover the cleanup.
"We have worked many years on dissolving Housing Opportunities Inc," Hohn said in an email exchange after the meeting. "I am extremely pleased to relinquish the funds to the City to be used for the mitigation of Sun Cleaners in addition to other priorities in the City of North Adams which are deemed eligible under block grant funds use. "
The board voted to authorize Hohn to transfer the property to the city.
"We are finally getting rid of this," board member Richard Lavigne said.
Goodman said the mayor has reviewed the report and indicated that the city was ready to accept the property.
"The city did not give any comments on it so I assume they are ready to accept it," she said. "They verbally said it is fine so I think they are fine."
Hohn did invite a representative from the city to attend the meeting to officially hand over the check but no one attended the meeting. She said she would hand-deliver the check later in the week.
Goodman said there is still some work to do and the Housing authority must still close out some accounting paperwork and file a petition to dissolve with the Attorney General.
"That will be the end of it," she said. "I can see the end in sight."
Correction: this article incorrectly listed the Flood House as an asset of HOI. It was owned by the Housing Authority and gifted to Louison House the same year as the Bracewell property.
Tags: Housing Authority, Housing program,
