Vacancies at Chicopee Housing Authority are ‘concern,’ state’s housing chief says

CHICOPEE — During a walkthrough of a vacant corner apartment at the Chicopee Housing Authority, the state’s housing secretary noted the modern look, even in an older unit.

“The floors are immaculate,” Ed Augustus, secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, said of the Elcon Drive apartment, built in the 1960s. “I’m impressed with how the unit was prepared for the next family.”

But there are 80 vacancies at the housing authority, said Betsy Partyka-Narey, its executive director. The organization has struggled to get available units ready for new tenants.

“Our vacancies continue to be a concern,” she said, explaining some are due to the lack of employees to renovate empty units.

Recently, all maintenance staff positions with the authority were filled, she said, allowing for more units to be completed.

“The waitlist is thousands of people long, so every time we get a vacant unit, it’s a family or senior citizen on that list,” said the secretary. “I want to make sure those get filled in quickly.”

Chicopee’s housing authority was the 176th that Augustus has visited on a statewide tour of public housing facilities. “Public housing is an important part of how we ensure the people who are low or fixed income have a place to live,” he said, noting he wanted to see how Chicopee’s works firsthand.

The Chicopee Housing Authority, which offers state and federally funded housing, isn’t overseen by the city.

The city is involved with a number of projects that could bring in more housing. Last week, the Belcher Apartments — formerly a schoolhouse — opened its doors, offering 25 affordable housing units.

At a recent press conference at the Belcher Apartments, Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau said other housing projects are in the works in the city: Cabotville, which local officials hope will revitalize the city center, and Uniroyal, a former tire factory that could provide hundreds of housing units.