We live here : tenants and the Massachusetts Public Housing Reform debate

Abstract

The embezzlement and corruption scandal surrounding the director of a local Massachusetts housing authority in late 2011 spurred a heated public debate about governance and efficiency in the state-funded public housing system. Governor Patrick, state agency heads, public and affordable housing professionals and experts and tenant advocates debated the degree to which the system should be centralized. Eventually, this debate was framed within the parameters of two opposing bills submitted to the state legislature. The Legislature's Committee on Housing took up the issue in June 2013 and will submit a third bill, widely considered to be the decisive measure, towards the end of the 2014 session. Tenant interests were largely absent in this debate. While existing regulations require housing authorities to encourage and fund local tenant organizations, many tenant representatives face retaliation from administrators. In this documentary film thesis, tenants whose organizing efforts have been suppressed discuss how they support one another, overcome stigma and advocate for the interests of their neighbors.