Tenants press Northampton Housing Authority to fix ventilation and rising security problems

At the Northampton Housing Authority’s Dec. 16 meeting, tenant leaders and residents urged the board to move quickly to address two separate safety concerns: chronic ventilation failures in some buildings and escalating security problems at the Walter Salvo senior building and other sites.

Doug Kjerdorf, president of the Forestander Tenants Association, introduced new tenant officers and said the association will forward a budget and work with the authority to “improve conditions here in Forrester and around Northampton.” Kathy St. John, a newly elected tenant officer, said ventilation is the association’s top priority, describing systems that are “as old as the building, about 65 years” and sometimes so noisy they cause vibrations through walls and ceilings.

Kjerdorf also said the authority is “right now in violation of Massachusetts sanitary code,” a claim that he pressed as part of residents’ wider health-and-safety concerns.

At Walter Salvo House, board members and residents described what they said were repeated trespassing incidents, drug activity, and frequent calls for police response. A Walter Salvo representative urged pursuing options under Massachusetts law and told the board: “We need the police in this building to clean up the mess that’s bringing in the traffic.” David Edwards, vice president of the Walter Salvo tenant organization, said the building is a senior facility and warned that residents feel unsafe after persistent incidents.

Chair Maureen Carney acknowledged those concerns and said the executive director will meet with the new tenant officers and that staff will follow up on priority items. Councilor Mary Anne LaBarge, who joined the meeting at the board’s invitation, recommended inviting the police chief to a future meeting so tenants can present safety concerns directly to law enforcement.

Board members and staff also encouraged tenant engagement with Local Tenant Organizations (LTOs) and pointed residents to a new state public housing notice (PHN) outlining LTO collaboration. Staff described next steps as meetings between tenant leaders and the housing director and follow-up on work orders and management responses; no formal enforcement action or contract decision occurred at the meeting.

The board’s public remarks underscored the immediate priorities residents want addressed—ventilation, noise and building safety—and a desire to formalize cooperation between tenant groups and management going forward. The authority did not announce a deadline for remedial work at the meeting; residents asked for prompt action and said they will continue to press the board and management.