NAHANT- On Wednesday, the Board of Selectmen voted yes to authorize the town administrator to begin the eviction process on the Coast Guard housing.
In September 2021, tenants in the property on Castle Road and Goddard Drive (known as Coast Guard housing) received their first notice that asked them to find another place to live. The tenants had a year to vacate which would expire in September 2022, and that was when they were given a second notice for one more month before they had to leave. Wednesday’s meeting was the final decision after a year and a month about the issue on eviction.
The property of Coast Guard housing is owned by the town of Nahant. It was purchased from the federal government in 2004. The town has a loan of 1.8 million for this purchase due in 2024, according to the Town Administrator Antonio Barletta. The solution that the Board of Selectmen came up with to balance the loan was to sell the property.
According to a finance report in May 2021, “the Advisory and Finance Committee acknowledges that the existing loan of $1.8 MM is due in 2024. Therefore, the Advisory and Finance Committee recommends…tear down existing 12 houses, subdivide to conforming lots, and sell 12 lots with restriction.”
Out of the 12 units, eight are still occupied, according to Daniel Skrip, the Town Counsel. Skrip said, “So we owe almost $2 million in two years and to delay this project any further is to put us in jeopardy.”
“I hate to see this happen. It’s not because of nonpayment,” said Mark Cullinan, vice chairman of the Board of Selectmen. “They were good tenants, they’re good residents and they’re good townies.”
Sue Alessi at 3 Goddard Dr., shared her voice, “I have been looking since I got the first letter for somewhere to live, and believe me, it is stressful, and it is an everyday job.”
Alessi has lived on the coast for over 10 years, and even though she looked for a new place every day, she still could not find one. There is not somewhere that is available, livable, safe and affordable according to Alessi. She notes that there is a neighbor that is in the real estate business that could not find a home.
In the financial report, the town proposed before the sale of lots, the housing will be demolished, the in-ground oil storage tanks will be removed, and the land is going to be leveled. Alessi, however, does not believe that this process including the sale will happen before 2024.
The loan that the town owes, could be taken care of in the other way too, according to Alessi. She suggested using the rent to pay part of the loan instead of selling the land. It is ridiculous to her that the town is going to spend another large amount of money to tear down the coast guard housing.
“It is soon going to be the holiday season and it is soon going to be winter,” Alessi said resignedly, “I have packed my camping gear.”
Aura Billias, spoke on behalf of her mother Debbie Billias who lives at 1 Goddard Dr., “At this point, she’s living out of boxes and sleeping on her couch. If she could go today, she would,” Billias said.
Aura Billias said that the only thing that was holding them back was the security deposit of $1,985. Her mother Debbie Billias is low income and disabled and they are trying to locate that much money.
The town has been working with the housing authority. Currently, there are 9,700 people on the waiting list at the housing authority properties with only around 40 units, according to Barletta. The town is seeking help from residents who have vacancy in their property.
On the legal side, Skrip promised that he would come up with a letter for the tenants evicted, that they were not evicted for their bad behavior or nonpayment, but the town had to vacate the property.
Sylvia Chen can be reached at [email protected]
