US Congresswoman Looking Into Westerly Evictions

The office of US Rep. Marcy Kaptur is looking to keep of 34 residents of the Westerly in their homes, by waiving one of the requirements of the senior living facility’s low-income-housing tax credit.

“There might be a need to change the law, but right now we’re focused on these individuals,” said Susan Rowe, the lead case specialist for Kaptur’s office.

The Westerly has plans to obtain millions of federal dollars to give the aging structure some much-needed upgrades.

But one of the strings attached to the funding is that all residents are low-income — categorized by HUD as making less than $26,640 annually, or less than $30,480 for couples.

Dozens of the seniors don't qualify and were recently notified that they may need to find a new place to live. 

“We’re trying to waive the requirements so that those people already there wouldn’t have to move,” Rowe said. "HUD isn’t calling it a grandfather provision, but for all intents and purposes, that’s what it is."

Curt Brosky, the director of the senior-living facility, says he’s doing everything he can to help, including reaching out to Kaptur’s office and providing $1,200 to the seniors to relocate.

Kaptur is applying the pressure on HUD.

“We’re working as hard as we possibly can,” Rowe said. “We will keep their feet to the fire until we get an answer here.”

She said there may not be enough time in the next two months — before the seniors may be forced to move out — to change the law.

“There’s a process we’d need to go through, and it’s not enough time,” she said. “It would be difficult for a lot of those folks to find similar housing, at an affordable cost. Right now, we’re focusing on the Westerly issue.”

Some of the residents have been there for more than 20 years. Brosky said that he’s already found housing solutions for many of them.

But there are many more of the seniors who could be out in a couple of months.

Kaptur spokesman Steve Fought said the Congresswoman isn't asking for anything “contrary to the original intent of the law.”

“We’ve told HUD that this is part of its core mission,” Fought added. “There’s no good guy or bad guy here."

“It’s just a unique situation.”