NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners approved a policy that would mandate that all employees be vaccinated by Nov. 30.

 

The authority's attorney Stephen Nary presented a new policy to the commissioners Monday that would mandate that all employees are vaccinated as well as new hires.

 

"We house a lot of people who are at high risk, and we need to protect them and ourselves," NAHA Executive Director Jennifer Hohn said. 

 

The policy mirrors what the Biden administration intends to roll out. As a federally funded program, NAHA would inevitably be included in the federal mandate.

 

"It is meant to be a reasonable policy based on what is going to be imposed on us anyways," Nary said. 

 

Hohn said she did not expect much pushback from the staff, who are essentially all vaccinated. She said it is more of a policy for potential new hires.

 

"I would have been comfortable with this anyways but knowing that everyone on staff is in a good place with this and that it would not cause discomfort is good news," Commissioner Kate Merrigan said.

 

Employees can pass on the vaccination if they have a reasonable medical exemption qualified by a medical practitioner. At that point, the executive director will meet with the exempt employee to work out a solution.

 

"Jen will ask if a reasonable accommodation can be made, and it is an interactive process," Nary said. "If they are allergic, the doctor tells them not to, whatever that reason and how can we continue to employ you without posing a burden on staff or tenants."

 

This is also the case for religious exemptions and the executive director will meet with the employee to review the legitimacy of the exemption.

 

"It is not a general opposition to vaccination or fear of vaccination," Nary said. "... It is kind of a balancing act and is a way for NAHA to work with people."

 

The attorney said employees could be placed on leave if their unvaccinated status causes hardship within NAHA.

 

During this time, the Housing Authority will try to find a solution. In some instances, the employee can eventually be terminated if they refuse to get vaccinated and there are no legitimate reasons not to be.

 

Hohn said the policy could change with future guidance from the federal level. 

 

In other business, accountant Sue Honeycutt went over NAHA's current and fiscal 2022 budget.

 

"The agency is financially extremely stable and there have never been any issues," she said.

 

She broadly went over the budget and said the public housing reserve fund is very healthy with more than $1.5 million in its coffers. 

 

"That is incredible," she said. "You usually don't see that."

 

On the Section 8 side, NAHA has $827,000 in reserves.

 

"That is really hard to find in housing authorities our size," Hohn said.