'On the street.' Despite housing voucher, West Dennis man faces eviction

WEST DENNIS — Michael Wright, 50, is not sure where he will sleep next month.

Since 2016, he has lived in a one-bedroom condo apartment at the Plantation complex on Main Street in West Dennis. But he must vacate the space by May 31, according to a May 2023 eviction agreement filed at housing court.

Wright is formerly homeless and used to stay at the NOAH Shelter in Hyannis, which is now called St. Joseph's House.

"Look, this is my first time ever being on my own, to have my own place...I'm about to be on the street by the end of the month," said Wright.

After an 11-month wait, he was granted a housing voucher originally administered by Duffy Health Center and now administered by Housing Assistance Corporation that covers most of his $1,553 monthly rent. The voucher is limited to Cape Cod, said Wright, limiting him to an area facing a dire housing crisis.

According to town assessor's records, Wright's unit is owned by Gafanovich Realty Management LLC. Wolf Gafanovich, who is listed as the landlord, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Wright said he asked for repairs

According to Wright, the trouble began when he started asking for repairs to be made in his apartment. He showed the Times documents from the town Board of Health over the last few years that found the unit showed water damage in the bathroom's ceiling, peeling paint in the bedroom and living room, and a cracked kitchen floor, among other problems.

He also says an electrical wiring problem found on April 15, 2020, that left charring along the floor and into the cabinet under the sink of the adjacent apartment, according to a Dennis Fire Department report, left additional damage in Wright's unit.

Wright acknowledges that his girlfriend Evelyn Walmsley, 48, also lives with him. She is not on his voucher and the eviction agreement states Wright is the only adult occupant in the apartment, but Wright and Walmsley say it was known she was staying there.

"What would you do? If I had a cold heart, I would have said, you're on your own," said Wright.

The landlord wants his apartment back

According to the eviction agreement, Wright must vacate the unit on or before May 31 "in broom swept condition removing all persons and personal belongings and returning the keys." Both parties will meet there to return the keys and Gafanovich will return Wright's last month of rent of $950 at that time.

"He's not in the arrears or nothing, it's just that the landlord wants his property back," said Walmsley.

Jodi Redd is a rental and sales agent at Bass River Properties, which manages the unit. She said the space needs to be renovated and that Wright "should be able to live in a property that's up to code without maintenance issues."

"It's hard to do a good job when the tenant is in there. It's impossible to be able to fix the ceilings, to do the floors, the bathroom, properly. We would rather do replacements and repairs than Band-aids," said Redd.

Redd said the situation began about three years ago.

"He's known about it for quite some time. He asked for more time, he got the Attorney General involved, and she asked us to back off," said Redd. "We waited another nine months and then according to Massachusetts law, our only options are unfortunately to go through the eviction process."

Housing Assistance Corporation administers 1,200 vouchers

Housing Assistance Corporation did not speak with the Times about Wright's specific situation due to its privacy policies.

Housing Assistance Corporation administers approximately 1,200 vouchers, including a portion dedicated for veterans, formerly homeless individuals, and people with certain medical conditions, according to a statement provided to the Times from CEO Alisa Magnotta.

Federally funded Section 8 vouchers can be used anywhere in the United States, while state-funded Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program vouchers can be used anywhere in Massachusetts, said Magnotta.

But vouchers funded for specific populations may or may not be limited to Barnstable County depending on the type of vouchers, she said.

A majority of the vouchers Housing Assistance Corporation administers are mobile vouchers. Project-based vouchers cannot be converted to mobile vouchers, but tenants can apply to the mobile Section 8 waitlist. Some mobile vouchers, especially those with services attached to the vouchers, cannot be used off-Cape due to the requirements of the program.

Some voucher recipients use housing search assistance provided by Housing Assistance, which also maintains a list of rentals on its website and a mailing list for upcoming rental lotteries, such as LeClair Village in Mashpee.

"The Cape region has a severe housing shortage and high demand for units, but people are still finding rentals. Flexibility and diligence are key attributes for securing an apartment," said Magnotta in the statement.

Housing search so far unsuccessful

So far, Wright and Walmsley's search for housing has been unsuccessful. Wright has been sent information about studios, but his voucher is for a one-bedroom.

Walmsley said she cannot afford most of the apartments with rents at $1,900 a month. She said she is not eligible for many programs because she does not have Mass Health and has a job at St. Joseph's Homeless Shelter.

"I don't even know where I'm going to go," said Walmsley.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on X @zanerazz.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: West Dennis man holds housing voucher but still can't find rental