Whitman Housing Authority Writes Off $26,938 in Rent Lost to Evictions, Fraud

WHITMAN — June 16, 2025 — Whitman Housing Authority writes off nearly $27,000 in uncollectible rent tied to pandemic-era eviction freeze. The board voted unanimously at its June 16 meeting to zero out $26,938.41 in fiscal year 2025 losses — $18,874.81 from family evictions following broken court-ordered repayment agreements and $8,063.60 from a tenant who concealed income and vacated the property. Chairwoman Catherine Kelleher called it the largest write-off she had seen and tied it directly to the COVID-19 moratorium: "We had some people that thought, you know what, we don't have to pay rent, so they didn't." The board also unanimously approved certificates of final completion for the Pine Circle Creative Placemaking Project (No. 338082) and the Stetson Terrace Underground Wiring Project (No. 338093), both of which received required professional sign-offs. Kelleher flagged a proposed state rule change that would require housing applicants to register on at least 26 waiting lists simultaneously, saying she planned to submit a formal comment opposing it as a costly and impractical burden on small authorities.