Whitman Housing Authority Weighs $513,000 Renovation or Sale of Century-Old Duplex

WHITMAN — July 1, 2025 — Whitman Housing Authority confronts record debt write-off and a costly decision on an 1895 duplex. The board voted unanimously at its May 19 meeting to accept financial reports showing state and federal properties tracking within budget, but the executive director warned that up to $27,000 in tenant debt — the agency's largest-ever write-off — may need to be cleared at the June meeting, tied to three departing or evicted tenants, including one who owed more than $14,000. Regional Capital Assistance Team Manager Kate estimated it would cost $513,456 to fully renovate the authority's two-family Pine Haven Drive property, built in 1895 and being vacated by month's end, against a town assessed value of $462,000 — prompting unresolved discussion of whether to renovate with grant funds or sell as-is. The authority's centralized CHAMP waiting list has ballooned to 50,202 applicants, up from roughly 37,000 just months ago, against a total inventory of 199 units.