Public housing: Deplorable conditions demand action

The residents are represented by the firm Lawyers for Equal Justice at both the federal and state suits; the latter case alleges that the housing was not kept in habitable and safe condition and breached the terms of its leases with the tenants.

Chad Taniguchi, the authority’s executive director since 2007, said efforts to chip away at the problem began independently and without prompting by lawsuits. He defended the progress made so far and cited a change in contractors among reasons for delay. The six elevators will be replaced in pairs, the first two done next April, the completion of all six is by May 2011.

Two water boilers have been replaced. Fire alarms are due to be finished in December. The garbage chutes will be repaired by April 2010, he said, because a building permit is still pending. And the authority says it is working on a plan to provide more disabled-accessible units.

Mark Bennett, state attorney general, declined to comment at length on the court actions. But he did make a general characterization of the argument: “We’re not saying there are no problems, but legally it doesn’t justify the relief the plaintiffs are seeking, in either case.”

However, some residents have waited decades for some fairly basic improvements to be made. Vaiola, for example, has lived in the complex since 1976, in her apartment since 1993. Her confinement downstairs has been going on for five years, with no relief.

Chronic inaction has prompted the tenants’ attorneys to seek a court order forcing improvements to be made, in particular for the disabled tenants. They are expected this week to file for an injunction in the federal case.

“For decades, the state hasn’t made the structural changes they need to make to the buildings and the premises,” said attorney Elizabeth Dunne. “They haven’t been following a policy to provide accommodation to people with disabilities.

“Because they continue to fail to do so, we need the court to order them to do so.”