To the editor:
One Christian prayer ends with, “as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.”
It seems landlords may subconsciously view this as referencing their buildings; see it as a maintenance plan. They will never have to check on or invest in their property, just collect rent.
When tenants complain about something in their unit/building, they are told that their lease will not be renewed. They become frightened.
Recently we have seen truly frightening things:
The partial collapse of the Champlain Towers (completed in 1981) in Surfside, Fla., killed 98 in June of 2021. The Davenport (completed in 1907) in Davenport, Iowa, partially collapsed just last Sunday with, I believe, three still missing. (Editor’s note: By the time of publication, all three victims had been found dead.)
Complaints were made; inspections identified problems. Repairs were not completed in time or at all. Sometimes we hear, “Don’t worry about ‘old’ buildings. They are ‘solid.’ It’s the newer ones that are the problem.” Well …
We have many very old buildings in Lynn — residences for senior citizens or low-income tenants, a former school, a former shoe factory — that date from the 1800s. Some are former churches/synagogues that have changed hands but are still places of worship where people continue to gather.
Take a walk around our historic city. Munroe Street backs up against the train line — think vibrations.
We, too, need to take a second look, and establish some accountability. Building new housing is a real need.
Repairing the world is our job, too.
Sincerely,
Mary Sweeney
Lynn
