Housing Authority receives clean audit; Marguerite Avenue units remain in limbo

The Waltham Housing Authority received a clean federal audit, while the future of two Marguerite Avenue properties remains unresolved as the board awaits further direction from the state Department of Mental Health.  

At Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Executive Director John Gollinger said he was pleased that the financial audit produced no findings.

“It’s sort of like getting an A,” Gollinger said. 

The board also reported that 12 units were vacant at the time of the meeting out of approximately 800 units under its domain. 

Gollinger said the authority is reallocating Section 8 vouchers to different housing units because of funding constraints.

“We’ve been treading water,” he said.  

A tentative meeting with the state Department of Mental Health is scheduled for July 29 to discern the future of the two Marguerite Avenue units, which are located in the same house. The authority’s 30-year lease with the state expired in October 2025. 

“We were told to stand down on our efforts to get the property until they had a chance to evaluate the property and determine which way they want to go,” Assistant Executive Director Mark Johnson said.    

Both units are handicap-accessible and are some of the few in WHA’s supply. One of the two units is occupied by a family, while the other remains vacant. At a previous meeting, Gollinger said the authority could face costs for repairs and insurance ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 per property. Johnson also estimated that modernizing the properties could cost $70,000 to $75,000, while repairing damage left in the vacant home by a previous tenant, who is a person with a mental illness, could require an additional $20,000 to $25,000. 

On Tuesday, Gollinger noted that some windows were broken and said the authority did not want to invest in the property until the state determined its future. The family in the occupied unit may also need to be relocated depending on the state’s decision on what to do with the house.

Additionally, the WHA: 

• Approved the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities annual plan. Johnson said the authority’s core policies had not changed significantly, while the plan continued to outline goals related to sustainability, decarbonization and reducing energy costs.

• Approved updates to its Section 8 administrative plan and public housing occupancy policies to comply with changes under the federal Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act. 
• Reported progress at Beaver Brook Apartments, including renovations to the community room, bathrooms, kitchen windows and walkways.
• Reported preliminary work has begun on a window-replacement project at the Winchester Crane Apartments.