NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Housing Authority plans to wrap up some lingering projects this spring that should clear the way for the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion by the end of the year.

 

The Board of Commissioners received updates Monday on two projects, the Greylock Apartment restoration and an environmental mitigation project, that have delayed the RAD conversion.

 

"We were derailed by the environmental issues and the Greylock fire. Those were the big things holding us back," RAD consultant Nathan Bondar said. "We should be able to get past those in the next several weeks. The financials look great. We work with a lot of housing authorities throughout the country, and I don't see many that have better financials than the North Adams Housing Authority."

 

Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, allows U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing authorities to move their units to the Section 8 platform and to leverage debt and equity for re-investment without affecting tenant rights and rents, or housing authority control.

 

In order to successfully complete the conversion some of the authority's units had to be brought back online. Several Greylock Apartment units were damaged in a fire in 2020. The reopening was delayed because of supply shortages.

 

But Craig Wilbur, capital improvements consultant said the project was about 65 percent complete.

 

"They have done their stud work; they are doing the plumbing and electric," he said. "They are doing the insulation next week followed by Sheetrock … it is going smoothly."

 

He said the project should be largely complete by the end of April.

 

As for the Greylock Apartment soil mitigation project, which is also holding up the RAD conversion, Wilbur said the tainted soil has been removed and will be shipped away in the coming weeks.

 

On Angeli Street, high lead levels were found in the northwest corner of the property and high arsenic levels were found 15 feet to the east along the fence line. The land at 48 Angeli abuts 360-362 State Road, the former West End Auto Shop. It is believed the contamination is from the former auto shop.

 

The 13 cubic yards currently are stored near the basketball courts on concrete. Although contamination levels are higher than an acceptable amount, they do not pose an immediate danger.

 

This project should be closed by May 1.

 

Bondar anticipated that the RAD conversion could go through before the year's end.

 

In other business, the commissioners accepted the Dojo Networks internet contract that would provide free wireless internet to all NAHA properties.

 

"It looks like we are finally at a moment where we can execute this," Information Technology Director Jason Morin said. "We worked really hard getting this in order."

 

NAHA Program Manager Lisa LaBonte gave her own update and said NAHA is making progress on recouping tenant accounts receivable.

 

After the COVID-19 eviction moratorium ended, many tenants still refused to pay rent. LaBonte said NAHA was owed more than $110,000 in November.

 

Through housing court and Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) payments, she said NAHA was able to recoup more than $41,000.

 

The board welcomed new governor's appointee Rosario Cantoni.