Police in three communities, Belmont included, responded to reports of gun violence last week.
Investigations into the shooting that took place in the area of Clark Lane on Feb. 24 are ongoing. According to a press release from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, a preliminary investigation indicates the victim and his son were outside an apartment complex when a vehicle sped by and someone inside the vehicle opened fire, striking the man in his leg.
The victim transported himself to a hospital, according to police.
The Office of the District Attorney, which is investigating the incident, did not return a call for comment as of press time. Two other incidents were reported in Cambridge and Somerville around the same time.
In the days since the shooting, the Belmont Housing Authority’s partnership with the Cambridge Housing Authority has been brought into question.
In a letter to town officials, Tommasina Olson, a former member of the Board of Housing Authority Board of Directors, called for the dissolution of Cambridge’s management contract, which the board first initiated in 2020 and subsequently extended. She also called for the removal of a family living at the home near where the shooting took place.
The letter was also posted to a community blog, Belmont Briefings, and shared on social media. In it, Olson noted this was the second shooting in Belmont since the local housing authority signed a contract with the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) to oversee the day-to-day functions of the housing authority as its “managing agent.”
“Cambridge’s trick of favoring their residents over Belmont residents by using the “emergency” powers demonstrates that Cambridge is more interested in offloading its criminal tenants than in providing a safe environment for Belmont residents who deeply need low income housing,” she wrote.
According to Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac, the shooting last week was the second since 2020. On Jan. 9, 2023, Belmont police responded to Olmsted Drive, where two people were shot. In an email, MacIsaac said evidence left at the scene revealed that at least six shots were fired. That incident also remains under investigation.
The Cambridge Housing Authority responded in turn by sending a statement to the residents of Belmont Village, one of four public housing developments in town.
“At CHA, we are deeply committed to our responsibilities and uphold the highest standards in managing the homes we provide,” wrote Cambridge Housing Authority Executive Director Mike Johnston. “We maintain a robust screening process that includes comprehensive criminal background checks, landlord references, and other eligibility requirements to ensure that applicants meet all necessary standards.”
Johnston wrote that the residents of the house in question were not ‘emergency placements’, nor did they move to Belmont from Cambridge. Further, whether the victim or shooter were residents of the Clark Lane property was unknown as of press time.
“Such claims are not only false but are inflammatory, ill-informed, and dangerously misguided,” he said. “They serve no purpose other than to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and stigmatize individuals based on their housing status or their affiliation with certain communities.”
Gloria Leipzig, chair of the Belmont Housing Authority Board of Directors, explained that in May 2020, the executive director resigned, leaving the organization in a bit of a bind as it struggled to navigate the day-to-day challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having been approached once before by another housing authority, the Belmont Housing Authority approached Cambridge Housing Authority about a temporary partnership so someone would be available to oversee the office staff and day-to-day operations. Ultimately, both authorities agreed to a three-year contract that subsequently extended for another three years.
“The state has been very much in favor of regionalization of small housing authorities,” she said.
Leipzig added that The Cambridge Housing Authority has expertise in areas beyond what the Belmont Housing Authority had previously. In particular, Belmont Housing Authority is benefiting from the planning and redevelopment experience of Cambridge Housing Authority as it looks at redevelopment of Sherman Gardens.
Though the Belmont Housing Authority sets all policies and oversees its management agent, the management staff are primarily Cambridge Housing Authorities employees.
The tenant selection process, she added, is set by the state’s public housing authority. To apply for public housing, individuals must go through the process outlined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Preferences for communities can be selected. Applications are then sent to the local housing authority of preference, where the applicant is added to a wait list.
“When we have vacancies, we go to that centralized list,” she said. “Cambridge has no influence, whatsoever, on tenant selection.”
In a statement, Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne, who was among the letter’s recipients, wrote that Belmont is fortunate that the Belmont Housing Authority has partnered with the Cambridge Housing Authority.
“This partnership allows Belmont to access to CHA expertise and resources, which will be particularly important in providing alternative housing for Belmont seniors when the time comes to rebuild and expand Sherman Garden,” said Dionne. “As former chair of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), I was always impressed by CHA design presentations, which were both thorough and visionary.”
