Resident: Nahant Housing Authority neglects to inspect

NAHANT ? A resident of the Spindrift building at 194 Nahant Road, one of three properties owned and managed by the Nahant Housing Authority, has claimed that in the past four years the management has failed to do even one annual inspection required by law.The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development mandates at least one annual inspection.Resident Gretchen Benkert complained to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development that the conditions in some areas of the building were unsanitary and unsafe. This prompted the department to perform a surprise inspection of the property.?Many of the people here are elderly or disabled and are too afraid to speak out,” said Benkert, who is disabled. “If I had to guess, I’d say the average age of the tenants is somewhere in the 80s or at least near there. I think they’re afraid to get kicked out if they start complaining.”Reports from the department’s first preliminary inspection revealed that many smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were “removed or inoperable ? many units have excessive storage ? fire doors are left open at Spindrift ? tenants made modifications to units without permission ? many units with air conditioners left in windows during heating (seasons).” The report also noted that there were piles of “trash, discarded furniture and debris, appliances, bedding, bureaus, bed frames, etc?” on the property.Benkert also said that when she attended authority meetings, members of the NHA avoided the issue. Despite repeated attempts, members of the housing authority declined to comment.?After the inspection, the building manager told one of the elderly residents that she had to remove her air conditioner from her window because it was mentioned in the report. She’s much too old and frail to pull it out, though, and they still haven’t addressed the trash issue,” Benkert said. “This isn’t the first trouble we’ve had with the housing authority. In the past, the building has had a big bedbug problem as well as trouble with losing utilities, like water.”Representatives of the community development agency returned to do a full inspection of the property June 23 and 24, but that report has yet to be released.Eric Adrien may be reached at [email protected].