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Hudson housing authority schedules resident meeting, hires asset manager amid tenant complaints
Summary
At a February meeting, the Hudson Housing Authority discussed resident engagement, a new asset manager hire and maintenance complaints. Board members approved accounts payable for January 2025; residents raised concerns about vacancies, cleanliness, bed bugs and safety.
The Hudson Housing Authority on Feb. 2025 set a residents’ meeting for March 4 at 5 p.m., announced the hire of an asset manager starting March 3, and heard multiple tenant complaints about vacancies, building cleanliness and safety.
The executive director told the board the resident meeting will be “an opportunity for me to speak to the housing authority directly” and asked residents to attend. He also introduced the hire: “We will, on March 3, have a new person starting working with us, an asset manager. Her name is Miss Owens. And she comes with a wealth of experience. One of her positions, she worked prior at the Albany Housing Authority,” he said.
The meeting also included routine business: a motion to approve accounts payable for January 2025 was made by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Wolf and carried after an affirmative voice vote. An earlier motion (mover: Commissioner Cousins; seconder: Commissioner Becker) also carried; the agenda item tied to that motion was not specified on the record.
During public comment, resident Mister Bennett asked about vacancies; the executive director responded, “That’s a good question, and it’s about 30 empty apartments right now, probably.” The executive director said that federal funding had been frozen when the president took office but later released after advocacy, and that the authority’s funding situation is currently “business as usual” and being managed on a month-to-month basis.
Residents raised multiple maintenance and behavior concerns. Complaints included dirty floors, buckling tiles, trash in hallways and diapers left on the ground. One resident described the situation as “disgusting.” Tenants reported disputes over whether inspections found bed bugs; a resident said a staff member told her that an inspection found bed bugs after an initial denial.
The executive director reminded residents that work orders are the formal way to report unit problems and said submitting a work order is part of the lease: “If the residents do not use the system and put work orders in, we won’t be able to address it properly.” He said maintenance staffing and recent snow affected cleanliness and that management will review complaints.
Board and residents discussed turnout at tenant meetings. The executive director and residents urged higher participation; one resident asked whether the authority could provide food at meetings to boost attendance. The executive director said the authority resubmitted a redevelopment proposal to ACR and will begin applying for funding as it becomes available and engage required local boards, including the planning board; he said a Q&A update will be posted to the authority’s website after he reviews it.
Residents also raised safety concerns about fights and loud disturbances in hallways. Speakers urged neighbors to report incidents and to bring disputes to the office rather than confront others in common areas. A board motion to adjourn was made late in the meeting and carried.
No ordinances, statutes or formal policy changes were proposed or adopted at the meeting; the board’s actions recorded on the transcript were limited to routine approvals and the adjournment vote.
