The Revere Housing Authority is to be commended for ending this challenging year in a positive cash position. Their goal of maintaining a high degree of service to the more than 900 families and individuals who look to the RHA to provide that most basic human need – a clean and safe environment for a home — has been successfully met.
This last year has been especially difficult for any agency that relies on state or federal funding. Federal sequestration has made a difficult job all the more difficult. Our local housing authority has been forced to confront this challenge.
Under the leadership of George Anzuoni, Chairman of the Board, and Linda Shaw, Executive Director, the RHA has renovated many of its housing complexes. Â The Alfred Liston Towers renovation is almost complete and the housing units on Dana Street, Shirley Avenue, and Nahant Ave. are scheduled to undergo repairs.
Partnerships that improve the quality of life in these housing complexes have been renewed or established in 2013. There have been roundtable discussions with groups to address the issues of homelessness and faith-based issues.
However, not only do the residents of the public housing authority owe a congratulations for a job well done to the Revere Housing Authority Board of Commissioners – Anthony Perrone, Vice Chairman; Irving Greenberg, Treasurer; Henry Mancini, Tenant Representative and Robert Furlong, State Appointee — but so too, do the taxpayers of the City of Revere. One just has to look at the debacle of the Chelsea Housing Authority to see how the now-convicted former Chelsea Housing Authority Director, Michael McLaughlin, diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars earmarked for needed housing repairs to convention junkets for himself and members of his staff while the Chelsea Housing Board of Commissioners turned a blind eye and deaf ear to McLaughlin’s Machiavellian intrigues.
Given the high-caliber individuals who presently serve on our housing authority, what happened in Chelsea can never happen in Revere. We are fortunate to have such a capable Board of Commissioners and a great Executive Director.
