NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — North Adams Housing Authority (NAHA) Executive Director Jennifer Hohn said various improvements have been made to enhance building security.  

 

To address security concerns, Hohn said they have added more hours to security detail as well as added an entry monitoring desk at the front of Ashland Park.

 

"[They] monitor who's coming in and out of the building when they are on duty along with constantly walking the halls etc.," Hohn said. "It has helped reduce many of the complaints of unwanted individuals in the buildings."

 

Over the past few years, tenets have been vocal about trespassing and crime in NAHA properties. The NAHA Board of Commissioners has held community meetings with the police department as well as hiring a private security firm to address known trespassing issues. They have allocated over $100,000 to address security concerns.

 

Hohn has indicated in the past the NAHA has a hard time monitoring who tenants let in the building. To combat this, NAHA is also eliminating the keyfob entry system in both Spring Park and Ashland Park and replacing it with a retina recognition system.

 

"This will eliminate people giving key fobs to others to enter in the building," Hohn said.

 

 The contractor is currently awaiting the parts to complete the installation. 

 

Also, Hohn reported that the renovated Greylock Apartments should be back online by the end of the month.

 

In early 2021, an apartment block in the Greylock Valley Apartments was severely damaged by fire.

 

Because of material shortages during the pandemic, the renovation has been delayed.

 

This also delayed the housing authority's Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion.

 

Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, allows HUD housing authorities to move their units to the Section 8 platform and to leverage debt and equity for re-investment without affecting tenant rights and rents, or housing authority control.

 

The full conversion cannot happen until offline units are brought back online.