North Adams Housing Authority Scheduling Grievance Hearing Over Retaliation Allegations
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will hold a grievance hearing with the Tenants Association to discuss retaliatory actions allegedly committed by the executive director.
At the end of a nearly two-hour meeting Wednesday, the commissioners and their attorney Elisabeth Goodman asked that all parties book a grievance hearing to discuss actions taken by Executive Director Jennifer Hohn, who the Tenants Association claims locked them out of their office as a retaliatory act.
Tenants Association President Corey Fortin posted a video on social media on Aug. 14 demonstrating doors opening at the authority's Ashland and Spring Park apartments without any alarms signaling. He claimed the next day that the tenants organization's office and kitchen were locked.
"This was a personal attack on us for doing a live video," said Fortin, who was filming the NAHA Commissioners meeting Wednesday.
Throughout the meeting, tenants asked about the association, the locked office, and general safety concerns. Commissioners steered them away until they reached the appropriate agenda item.
Hohn eventually responded to allegations of locking the office, saying it was not retaliatory but a matter of tenant safety.
"That was an attempt by NAHA to stop the spread of misinformation that you were putting on Facebook about the alarms," she said.
The conversation stemmed from an Open Meeting Law violation complaint filed by North Adams resident Jennifer Barbeau, stating that the commission wrongly used an executive session at a past meeting to discuss the matter. She felt that without active litigation, the commission used the closed-door meeting to "shield" Hohn from scrutiny in reference to what Barbeau referred to as "felony larceny." She claimed Hohn seized and locked away over $2,200 of Tenants Association assets, crossing the legal threshold.
Goodman first addressed Barbeau's complaint, noting that litigation on the matter was filed. Even if the meeting took place before litigation was filed, executive session covers the threat of litigation — which she claimed existed.
She then stated that NAHA does not recognize a tenants association, noting the commission never received the requested material that would codify the group's existence.
"There is no formally recognized tenants association," she said. "They need to be officially recognized, request to be officially recognized, and then provide certification of election procedures. But that never occurred."
She said this information had been requested by Hohn.
Commissioner Marie Harpin revealed a document from 2025 indicating that NAHA did acknowledge a tenants association.
However, still lacking full documentation, Goodman and Hohn felt the document was not solid evidence. Hohn indicated that many of the members of the claimed Tenants Association have since changed. Hohn reiterated that she has no idea how members are elected, which also caused confusion among board members.
Barbeau called that bunk, saying she was present when the Tenants Association was created as a liaison from the City Council.
"When this Tenants Association started, I was on the City Council, and I was the liaison to the housing authority," she said. "And it really sticks in my craw that someone can sit here and say that an official vote never took place. I was the city official who oversaw that vote. I can tell you that Ms. Hohn was provided with the vote, with the regulations, and with a request to recognize five years ago."
She added that NAHA staff met with the group monthly until August and felt NAHA clearly recognized them.
Goodman asked if Fortin could provide these documents, but Fortin said he is unable to access anything because he is locked out of the office.
Hohn said she has reached out multiple times seeking the paperwork and offering to allow tenants to re-enter the space to gather equipment.
Fortin said they have not responded because their request for a grievance hearing months ago went unanswered. He stated they have been locked out for over 40 days.
Goodman said this was the first she had heard of a grievance hearing and suggested NAHA schedule one. City Councilor and current liaison Lillian Zavatsky spoke up, saying there is a clear level of mistrust between tenants and NAHA, and that NAHA was escalating it.
"With all due respect, this mistrust has been created by the housing authority," she said. "So they are asking for their hearing to have their voice heard because, as we heard, they were locked out in an attempt to shut down misinformation from a Facebook video. It is just completely berserk."
The issue stems from the turned-off door alarms that Fortin said here demonstrated in his video.
The alarms were installed to deter non-tenants from entering the building. The alarms were turned off because whenever they signaled, NAHA would have to pay a maintenance person to come in and reset the alarms. This was not feasible with the doors opening multiple times a day.
The alarms are not fire alarms and legally do not need to be tied into the Fire Department's system. Tenants' main concern is illegal activity happening in the properties.
Hohn said NAHA is still working to attach new door alarms to four doors at Ashland Park and Spring Park. She explained that the new alarms need to be retrofitted to the doors, which has taken time.
She added that NAHA is investing $8,000 to address the doors and create a better alarm system.
The commission did not address all of Barbeau's Open Meeting Law complaints, as the board and attorney lacked access to all the documents. Goodman said she will ask the Attorney General's Office for an extension on the alleged violations they have not yet reviewed.
Barbeau noted both the chair and the city clerk confirmed receipt of the documents. Chair Leigh Uqdah confirmed this, but noted the rest of the panel was unable to open the documents completely.
However, they did provide some responses, allowing Barbeau to read portions of her filings aloud. One complaint noted that it was often difficult to hear Hohn. Goodman said that going forward, someone will repeat everything she says loudly for all to hear.
Barbeau added that Hohn often talks to individual board members without the rest of the commission knowing.
Attendees noted it was generally hard to hear in the room, and Uqdah pledged to speak louder and repeat anything necessary.
Another complaint alleged that the commission again misused executive session to discuss Hohn's contract and performance. Uqdah said they only discussed the contract itself in executive session and that it was her understanding that only performance discussions must be held in open session.
Another complaint alleged that Goodman aggressively stopped a dialogue with Fortin during the Aug. 24 meeting. Attendees expressed concern that Goodman was out of line and that the commission should handle such proceedings.
Uqdah said she had asked Fortin too softly to stop, leading Goodman to jump in, and promised to handle such confrontations herself in the future.
A complaint referencing the same meeting called into question dual agendas that slightly differed: the document of record posted at City Hall included an executive session, but the online posting did not. Barbeau felt she was aggressively shut down when she objected to this in August.
Harpin begged to differ, noting the commission acted on her objection.
"Your point was taken, and we did not enter executive session," she said. "If we weren't being hostile, we were listening to what she said. So how hostile is that? We took it in, and we reacted to it."
There was also a complaint about an incomplete roll call when entering executive session. The commission agreed they would not repeat this mistake.
In other business, the commission also heard a fiscal year 2027 budget presentation and later accepted the budget. Noted budget shortfalls stemmed from reduced federal funding, but by relying on reserves, NAHA will remain fully operational.
Hohn said converting remaining NAHA properties to RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) will be key to increasing revenue.
Commissioners questioned the protective services line item, which decreased by $45,000.
"I was wondering if we could bump that number up down the road," Harpin said. "I don't know if we are going to be over budget. I am just concerned because that is what the hot-button topic seems to be."
It was confirmed that the figure matches what was actually spent on security this year. Hohn added that once Spring and Ashland Park are converted to RAD, there will be more flexibility.
"Once the new conversion goes through, when we can do this, then our revenue will obviously increase significantly," she said. "So we will have more money to spend, but until then, the operating reserves we are getting for these two buildings aren't enough to cover running them."
Hohn agreed she would like to have more security in the buildings.
The commission also agreed to start rotating meeting locations so tenants from different properties have better access. Hohn noted there is no indoor meeting space at Riverview, but suggested holding summer meetings outside there.
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