SWAMPSCOTT ― The town’s Housing Authority is going to meet with the Select Board to discuss multiple allegations brought against the authority over the past few weeks, including missing funding opportunities and state and federal compliance orders.
On Tuesday, the Swampscott Housing Authority decided to accept a joint meeting on Nov. 3 with the Select Board. The Housing Authority said they hope to address the allegations made by former member Naomi Dreeben about how they allegedly missed different opportunities for funding and were inactive on lowering the wait list for housing.
While the Housing Authority is concerned about allegations made by Dreeben when she issued her resignation via a letter to the editor at The Item, the members said they will use this as an opportunity to clear the air.
“My issue is this information is left out there and it’s not corrected,” said Housing Authority Vice Chair Catherine Esteverena. “Hopefully we can correct it in this meeting at the board.”
The authority also plans to discuss concerns raised by the Select Board about common practices, like intra-authority policies on liaising with other boards and types of compliances they have to follow from the state and federal governments.
“To do any job, or be on any committee, it’s important to have communication and cooperation,” said Housing Authority Treasurer Tara Cassidy-Driscoll. “I think that communication is a two-way street.”
The Select Board issued the invitation after a meeting last Wednesday where board members spoke with Cassidy-Driscoll. The board had invited the Housing Authority to come to their meeting, but due to time constraints and the short notice, only Cassidy-Driscoll was able to attend.
Richard Callahan, the chair of the authority, said that he was glad to see that the official invitation to the Select Board meeting was sent directly to him and not left ambiguous.
“Everything was up in the air,” Callahan said about the invitation to Wednesday’s meeting. “Having it emailed directly to Irma (Chez, director of the Swampscott Housing Authority) and myself is appropriate instead of stuff just blowing in the wind.”
Cynthia Tennant, a member of the Housing Authority, said that the meeting will be good for all parties involved.
“We’re all aiming in the same direction on how to get into the same room,” Tennant said. “The way things are going right now is that we’re all coming onto the same road.”
