NHA board approves Worcester MOU for 43 units

Other Committee · Meeting of September 21, 2026

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Housing Authority board approved a Worcester Housing Authority deal to turn over 43 vacant units. Chairperson Patty Healy's board voted 5-0 for the memorandum of understanding, plus a $35,670 Schindler elevator contract, a $9,450 A Shade Landscaping fall cleanup bid and a $23,520 Cahill paving change order for ADA ramps. Acting Executive Director Sharon told the board her seven-person maintenance team, mostly inexperienced with turnovers, "currently, honestly, right now" cannot keep pace with new vacancies once Worcester clears the backlog.

Local Tenant Organization President Doug Kerrtoff pressed the board over the $120,000 Kara Leeper investigation, saying "the taxpayers don't get to see anything that's in it," while Healy maintained the board "is very committed to being transparent." The board also seated new Commissioner Katie Rose and appointed Commissioner Ben Wood to the Community Preservation Committee.

In the full story:

• LTO Remembrance and the Leeper Investigation
• Open Meeting Law Complaints
• New Commissioner Seated
• Worcester Housing Authority Memorandum of Understanding
• Elevator, Landscaping and Paving Contracts
• Ben Wood Appointed to Community Preservation Committee
• Public Engagement Position
• Executive Session
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,162 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of September 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.