SWAMPSCOTT — During the latest Housing Authority meeting on Tuesday evening, chair of the board Charlie Patsios spoke about the need for more affordable housing for senior citizens.
Patsios explained that the School Department has authority and control over the Clarke Elementary School, and it has not yet relinquished that authority to the town — which means, as of now, the school could not be used to create affordable housing for seniors.
“However, the school has not been asked what its intentions are, and the Housing Authority has also not been asked what its intentions are for the building,” Patsios said. “But it’s my opinion that seniors in town need either public housing or affordable housing.”
The point was raised during the meeting that one idea for the school would be to see administrative offices set up on the site. Patsios said he proposes the school be used for affordable housing for seniors with room for the Senior Center to operate from. He said the administrative offices could be relocated to the Senior Center’s current location behind the high school, at 200R Essex Street.
According to Patsios, the senior citizens throughout town have not used their voices efficiently in order to provide a level of interest once their voices are heard.
“Unless we unite our voices and raise them up, and we speak to the Select Board and the School Committee, we’ll continue to be dealt with the way that we’ve been dealt with,” Patsios said. “And that, to me, is not fair.”
Patsios asked everyone on the board and those in attendance to speak to friends and neighbors to help generate awareness of the issue. “The Swampscott Housing Development Corporation and the Housing Authority, it’s like the left hand and the right hand, we both have the same desire to create more housing in Swampscott,” he said.
“None of this can happen unless the first step is accomplished, and the School Department needs to surplus the building back to the town,” Patsios said. “And then the town needs to decide that it can come to us as a town agency under state control.”
“We will get nothing done unless we get the first step done,” Patsios continued. He urged members of the board and anybody watching to participate in Select Board meetings. “I hope everybody that can share their voices all have the same message… We need senior housing, and we want it now.”
