Case study: Northampton Housing Authority
How healthy community life became possible
We see the growth of healthy community life soon after intervention by a higher authority in the example of the Northampton Housing Authority (NHA). Intervention by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) began a process that eliminates hostile environment harassment and began a new era of constructive collaboration began, led by tenants and with participation by civic leaders and management.
EOHLC did not respond to the tenants, but only to a complaint by staff; tenants had been frustrated in their efforts to investigate alleged malfeasance by the executive director and the efforts of the Northampton Housing Authority to suppress complaints.
We have published a series of reports that document the impact of poor governance on tenants of the Northampton Housing Authority, the frustrations of tenants, including a tenant commissioner, seeking an investigation, remedy, and redress; and the growing determination of tenants to work together with neighbors, management, the board, and civic authorities to achieve a healthy community life. The executive director was suspended with pay for nine months during an independent investigation and then resigned. Temporary executive directors ran the daily business. The Chair of the housing authority resigned. Tenants began to join together in activities to improve their environment and to create positive community activities. Some tenants remain unsatisfied even after the former executive director resigned.
“As a tenant, it is deeply troubling that the former executive director’s conduct appears to have gone without meaningful accountability. In my view, a majority of the board has consistently failed to uphold basic ethical and professional standards, prioritizing the housing authority’s public image over the well-being and rights of its residents. Their inaction has undermined trust and left tenants feeling unprotected and unheard.”—Heidi Sousse
Tenant leaders have joined to demand meaningful change in governance with a greater role for tenants. In a letter to the Mayor of Northampton, Gina Louise-Sciarra, prepared by Paul Borneo, leaders of three tenant organizations supported by the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants called for “...Transparency, Accountability, and Tenant Safety at the Northampton Housing Authority.”
“Residents have documented years of mismanagement of public funds, neglect of property maintenance, and unethical behavior by staff and leadership. These failures have left vulnerable tenants—many elderly or disabled—living in unsafe, unhealthy conditions.”
“We view this as not only a Northampton issue but part of a larger pattern across Massachusetts housing authorities where tenant rights are routinely dismissed. Northampton can and should set a statewide example by embracing transparency, integrity, and community partnership.”
“We are ready to collaborate in good faith... Together, we can rebuild trust, repair homes, and restore the integrity of public housing governance in Northampton.”—Letter signed by leaders of three local tenant organizations.
In Northampton, as soon as the aggressive behaviors of harassment, mobbing, and bullying were eliminated, people were free from fear and able to begin to build a healthy community life. If Northampton tenants had been able to call on a tenant advocate, it is likely that this change would have started long ago. Let us continue working to create the office of the tenant advocate and at the same time find additional ways to preserve and implement our rights as people, as citizens, and as tenants.
Resources for Northampton Housing
Halberstadt, Jerry, Sticks, Stones, Gossip & Governance Part 2 A Very Similar Housing Authority ("before")
Halberstadt, Jerry, Creating Community in Northampton
Tarbutton-Springfield, Jo Ella (Jada), Still Glowing After The Third Clean-Up Salvo Event
MacDougal, Alexander, “Northampton Housing Authority board chair resigns amid controversy,” Daily Hampshire Gazette, October 9, 2025
MacDougal, Alexander, "Cara Leiper resigns as Northampton Housing Authority director," Daily Hampshire Gazette, December 23, 2025
Borneo, Paul, for tenant organizations at Northampton Housing Authority, “Call for Transparency, Accountability, and Tenant Safety at the Northampton Housing Authority,” letter to Northampton Mayor, October 17, 2025.
Resources
The law
FR–5248–F–02 Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment Harassment and Liability for Discriminatory Housing Practices Under the Fair Housing Act, Final Rule published in the Federal Register on September 14,2016, CFR Citation: 24 CFR 100, p. 63075
The Attorney General is empowered to act to protect the rights of a victim of bullying and mobbing, including under the authority of MGL c.12 Section c. 12, §§ 11H-J and M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4(4A).2
“Office of the Attorney General Advisory: The failure of management and the landlord to assure peaceful enjoyment for all tenants is unlawful, according to the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts”
Commission on Bullying: RESOLVE CREATING A COMMISSION TO STUDY WAYS TO PREVENT BULLYING OF TENANTS IN PUBLIC AND SUBSIDIZED MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Resolves/2016/Chapter2
Current (2025) bullying bills on Beacon Hill
S.1007: An Act to prevent and respond to bullying of elderly and disabled residents.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1007
H1814: An Act to create the office of the tenant advocate in the Office of the Attorney General https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1814
Research on harassment, mobbing, and bullying and cultural discrimination
Statement of Janice Harper, bullying and mobbing in group settings. http://stopbullyingcoalition.org/harper-mobbing
Molly Rockett, Private Property Managers, Unchecked: The Failures of Federal Compliance Oversight in Project-Based Section 8 Housing, 134 Harv. L. Rev. F. 286 March 2021
November 2024 Anti-Hate Anti-Bias Task Force Meeting (video) with DA Marian T Ryan, Paul Lanzikos (Dignity Alliance), Margaret M Gullette (Ageism), and Jerry Halberstadt
Jerry Halberstadt, Community Support for Respect: Comments prepared for delivery at the November 14, 2024 gathering of the Anti-Hate, Anti-Bias Task Force of Middlesex DA Marian T. Ryan
Research on bullying & harassment in housing
Jerry Halberstadt and Marvin So, Statewide Survey on Bullying of Tenants in Public and Subsidized Multifamily Housing: Report of the Committee for Research on Conditions and Prevalence of the Commission on Bullying
Halberstadt, Jerry, Survey & Qualitative Research 2017-2020
Halberstadt, Jerry, Sticks, Stones, Gossip & Governance Part 1 of 2
Halberstadt, Jerry, Sticks, Stones, Gossip & Governance Part 2 of 2
Halberstadt, Jerry, Bullying & Democracy At Apple Village
Halberstadt, Jerry, , 2020, Community Norms and Governance of Housing
Tenant Advocate Resources
http://stopbullyingcoalition.org/tenant-advocate-resources