LOWELL — WinnCompanies, the largest operator of affordable housing in Massachusetts, announced that it will not evict those facing pandemic-related financial challenges for the rest of this year.
“People are finding tough times for obvious reasons … and everybody wants the economy to rebound… (but) it hasn’t happened overnight,” WinnDevelopment President and Managing Partner Larry Curtis said.
The company has extended its moratorium on evictions until Dec. 31. A statewide moratorium is set to expire on Aug. 18, though Rep. Mike Connolly and Rep. Kevin Honan filed a bill last week that would extend it for more than one year.
Thomas Perez, a two-year Loft 27 resident, said the pause on evictions “helps for those people that are struggling, especially the elderly.”
“That’s what’s good about this place — that they fight for you,” said Perez, who is currently unemployed.
Lowell has the highest concentration of Winn properties in the United States, including Loft 27 and the Counting House Lofts on Jackson Street, and the Apartments at Boott Mills and Boott Mills West on John Street. The company will add a fifth site in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District by 2022.
Between Winn’s four existing Lowell properties, there are more than 530 units.
“They’ve been great to me,” said Ann Cyr, a Loft 27 resident. Life at Loft 27 has been her best experience renting yet, she said with a laugh.
“We have every kind of person there is, from wealthy to poor,” Cyr said, adding that she thinks Winn is “standing behind” them all.
“I think it’s terrific that they’re doing that,” Craig Faulkner said. He and his wife, Christine, own Warp and Weft, a Market Street restaurant and bar. “It’s a good company,” the Loft 27 resident said of Winn.
The company also owns the Fitchburg Place Apartments and Yarn Works in Fitchburg, which each contain about 96 units, Curtis said.
“I think that’s a really good thing,” said Cathy, a resident at Fitchburg Place. “A lot of people are struggling right now because of COVID, so I think it’s good.”
She said the pandemic forced several residents to choose between rent and food for the month, and the recent decision by WinnCompanies should put a lot of minds at rest.
To benefit from the pause on evictions, residents must meet the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development’s COVID-19 guidelines.
“All residents experiencing virus-related financial hardships will be required to document and certify their financial hardship and to enter into a payment plan agreement based on their rent obligation and individual household situation,” a news release states.
The moratorium is intended to help those who “demonstrate a good faith effort to meet their obligations,” according to the release. It will not apply to those in violation of a lease for other reasons, such as criminal behavior or violence.
“Compassion for our residents is not optional; it has been a founding principle of WinnCompanies’ culture and operations for 50 years,” CEO Gilbert Winn said in a news release.
“We believe it is vital to take a leadership role in response to this crisis. We are committed to working with each household to create a realistic payment agreement that is sustainable and achievable and that helps them identify and apply for emergency support programs for which they may be eligible,” Winn continued.
According to Winn, the company has helped thousands of Massachusetts residents complete payment plans and apply for emergency rental assistance programs.
The moratorium has cost the company millions of dollars, Curtis said. But it’s the “right thing to do,” he added.
“These are families that have done everything right. They’re working hard, they have been marginally paying rent, they’ve been doing a remarkable job in their careers and in their lives. And this thing (the pandemic) hits them… like a slap in the back of the head,” he said. “… We’re proud of what we’re doing.”
WinnCompanies has worked with charitable groups and state officials to help tenants through the pandemic, Curtis said. On June 30, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a $20 million fund — the Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program — to assist suffering households.
“We’ve been long-term citizens of the city and we’ve been long-term owners in Lowell, and we hope to be for the long term. We’re here to stay, and we, too, will weather this storm … ” Curtis said.
