![]() ![]() ![]() Some tenants said water leaks are a consistent problem that don’t get properly addressed. “We are paying the rent and we get nothing.” “The way they’re running Tent City, it’s not right, they don’t care for us as tenants,” said one resident who, like others interviewed for this story, did not want to be named out of fear of retribution from Peabody. Still, with Boston in the grips of a brutal housing crisis, some of the more than 800 residents who live here worry, saying they feel like management is trying to make life so miserable that they will move out. A regulatory agreement means Tent City must maintain that residential make-up, according to authorities who run the place. ”I don’t want anyone on this property to feel unheard,” said Vanessa Saulsberry, chairwoman of the Tent City’s board of directors, during a recent interview.Ĭurrently, 75 percent of the roughly 270 Tent City residential units are income-restricted, and the remaining are market-rate. That invitation, according to the board and Peabody, remains open. Meanwhile, Peabody and Tent City’s board of directors said they answered questions from the petitioners last October and offered to meet with the group to discuss their responses. ![]() Still, more than a year later, Cook, who spearheaded the petition effort, said there are still outstanding questions. The chairwoman of Tent City’s board of directors, which is currently composed of residents, and Peabody officials said there are no plans to sell. ![]() “Regarding maintenance issues, any residents experiencing the abovementioned issues are encouraged to notify management,” the company said in an e-mail.ĭisputes over the maintenance of rental complexes are common, but at Tent City, tensions are particularly high.īy the fall of 2021, tenants say conditions were so bad that four dozen of them had signed a petition demanding answers from Tent City officials to more than 60 questions, ranging from why a faulty HVAC system had yet to be repaired to whether there were any attempts underway to sell the property. Peabody said that residents’ safety is a priority and that repairs are made as the company is made aware of problems. Those who run Tent City frame the various complaints as coming from a small contingent of residents, with Peabody and Tent City’s board officials saying they had first heard of some of the issues when notified by the Globe. Tenants say they fear retaliation if they complain, and, after a November homicide in the courtyard, question whether the complex is safe. Today, interviews with a dozen Tent City residents paint a grim picture of a place where appliances don’t get fixed and maintenance problems languish. ”It feels like everything is coming full circle,” she added. ”Here we are, how many years later, and the children of the elders who helped to make Tent City what it is are in the fight to protect and preserve its legacy,” said Heather Cook, a 48-year-old lifelong resident of the complex. In short, critics say the property’s manager, Peabody Properties of Braintree, is allowing their homes to fall into disrepair the company acknowledges that the property needs improvements but says a planned refinance of the property should help with much-needed upgrades. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |