Some Revere public housing to get upgrade

REVERE – Liston Towers undergoes extensive repairs this year including exterior work aimed at eliminating building flooding and renovations to make eight apartments handicapped accessible.Housing Authority Director Linda Shaw said the Liston project is one of several planned for 2008 including decking replacement and roof repair work at Carl Hyman Towers.Other major projects planned for Authority property include converting heating oil burners in 88 residences on Cooledge Street and Constitution Avenue to natural gas.The Authority has asked state housing officials for permission to sell five single-family residences. Shaw said Authority officials determined that selling the properties to raise money to pay for other projects made more sense than spending state and federal money to modernize the residences.Renovation projects including siding replacement, bathroom modernizations and mold removal are planned for the Rose and Pomona streets residences and the Broadway development.Authority workers plan to repair stairways at Constitution and Cooledge residences and improve lighting around these buildings.The Authority is considering replacing the Eliot Road and Garfield Avenue development with a multi-story residence providing additional living space for public housing tenants. The Authority applied for a state grant to pay for a feasibility study of the replacement work.The Authority oversees 900 apartments that are home to about 2,000 tenants.Since 2006, Shaw and Authority workers have received federal permission to launch a family self-sufficiency program for public housing tenants. A similar program run by the Lynn Housing Authority helps residents explore job options and learn how to buy a home.They have also focused on crime in public housing. A police officer has been living and working in Authority properties since late 2006.