Aged Boston lady trapped in own residence with ‘tenant from hell’ – NBC Boston

The NBC10 Investigators are questioning how a tenant dwelling in an aged lady’s Dorchester dwelling nonetheless certified for taxpayer rental help, regardless of a prolonged historical past of evictions.

As we reported on Tuesday, the 76-year-old home-owner stated the “tenant from hell” didn’t pay lease and it took greater than a 12 months and a dozen courtroom appearances to get her evicted from the property.

On the date of the eviction final month, we had been there as Janette Jackson discovered the primary ground of her dwelling soiled and broken.

“I do know I’ve loads of work to do,” Jackson advised us. “However I’m so completely satisfied as a result of I’m getting her out of my place.”

When Kenyatta Saunders moved into the house together with her two daughters in December 2024, she was a recipient of the HomeBASE program, which offers help to households as a method to stabilize housing and keep away from homelessness.

This system kicks in taxpayer cash for the primary month’s lease and safety deposit, then subsidizes a portion of the month-to-month lease for as much as two years, in response to family earnings.

Think about feeling trapped in your individual dwelling with an individual you may’t get to go away. It is a nightmare an aged home-owner in Dorchester says she’s skilled for greater than a 12 months. And as a substitute of paying a dime of lease, she says a tenant dwelling downstairs trashed her property and put her well being and security in danger.

Metropolis and courtroom data present that Saunders instantly complained about points with the property to Boston Inspectional Providers, then refused to permit entry to individuals who confirmed as much as make repairs.

Jackson stated Saunders additionally didn’t pay her portion of the lease. Earlier than lengthy, HomeBASE had eliminated her from this system. That meant that Jackson, who lives upstairs, had no rental earnings coming in to assist pay the mortgage.

Even worse, Jackson obtained a restraining order towards Saunders after she stated her tenant pushed her on the steps resulting in the basement when she was attempting to do her laundry.

The primary time we interviewed Jackson about her expertise, we met on a park bench in her neighborhood as a result of she didn’t really feel protected talking to us in her dwelling.

“Quite a lot of days I don’t wish to get out of my mattress,” a tearful Jackson stated. “As a result of this isn’t a life to dwell.”

NBC10 Boston

NBC10 Boston

The NBC10 Investigators reviewed instances involving Saunders from six different properties round Boston. All of them adopted the same sample: not paying lease, complaints about dwelling circumstances, refusing entry to metropolis inspectors and restore employees, and receiving some type of taxpayer help.

Saunders labored for Metro Housing Boston from 2013 to 2016, a company spokesperson confirmed to NBC10. Housing courtroom data present Saunders later labored as a housing mediation coordinator for the Brookline Middle for Neighborhood Psychological Well being.

The employment background explains how Saunders turned acquainted with the ins and outs of housing courtroom and rental help applications.  Data from one eviction case present Saunders obtained HomeBASE help way back to 2012.

Stu Schrier is an lawyer of greater than 4 a long time who has now represented landlords in three eviction instances towards Saunders. We requested him how a tenant with that type of observe file might nonetheless qualify for rental help applications.

“That’s a query I can’t reply. I’m shocked and horrified,” Schrier stated. “She’s a serial abuser of the system.”

Have a tip for the NBC10 Investigators? E mail us at boston.suggestions@nbcuni.com.

When the NBC10 Investigators spoke with Saunders after a housing courtroom look, she pointed the blame at Jackson after we requested about rental help.

“How do I really feel about taxpayers’ cash getting used? I really feel a sure method that it’s being misused by property homeowners which can be slumlords,” Saunders stated.

It isn’t the one instance the NBC10 Investigators have uncovered throughout our ongoing protection of “skilled tenants” — individuals who keep away from paying lease so long as potential whereas utilizing techniques to delay eviction instances in housing courtroom.

The NBC10 Boston Investigators are working to reveal so known as “skilled tenants” who make a dwelling by benefiting from property homeowners, and as our newest investigation reveals, it is generally on the taxpayer’s dime.

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Final 12 months, we advised you about Bryan and Nicole Coombs, who obtained greater than $20,000 of HomeBASE funding, regardless of a dozen evictions on their file.

The couple ultimately left a path of injury and particles inside a Burlington property earlier than they had been pressured out of the house.

A spokesperson for the Govt Workplace of Housing and Livable Communities declined an on-camera interview request, however advised NBC10 this system helps hundreds of households with youngsters exit homelessness and discover housing.

“The overwhelming majority of individuals use this non permanent help as supposed, however critical guidelines violations will end in termination from this system,” the EOHLC spokesperson wrote in an announcement. “In 2025, solely 1.5 p.c of HomeBASE instances had been terminated for trigger, underscoring how not often tenants violate program guidelines.”

Causes for termination from this system embrace non-payment of lease, felony exercise, destruction of property, or fraudulently reporting earnings.

Due to privateness causes, the company stated it doesn’t touch upon particular recipients of rental help.

In keeping with program eligibility necessities, recipients should be Massachusetts residents, full a background examine, meet earnings pointers and be pregnant or have a toddler underneath 21.

Households should additionally display the explanation they want shelter, which might embrace a fireplace, flood or pure catastrophe; a threat of home violence; a well being and security threat to a toddler; or a no-fault eviction.

The EOHLC spokesperson stated whereas prior evictions are factored into the evaluate, they don’t routinely disqualify a household from receiving help.

Mike Kennealy was the housing secretary underneath the Baker administration and is presently a Republican candidate operating for governor. Kennealy oversaw the HomeBASE program throughout his tenure and stated it may be an important useful resource for households going through homelessness.

“Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be a method to facilitate dangerous habits,” Kennealy stated. “One, as a result of it means these {dollars} can’t go to individuals who really want it. And secondly, I believe it deepens individuals’s distrust in authorities.”

One other candidate for governor, Mike Minogue, reacted to the main points of the NBC10 investigation.

“Massachusetts taxpayers are footing the invoice for a rental help system that’s being brazenly abused, the place lease goes unpaid and the courtroom course of is manipulated to stall and delay with no accountability,” Minogue stated.

Brian Shortsleeve, who can be operating for governor, stated this system needs to be audited to root out fraud, waste and abuse.

“It ought to make individuals’s head explode that hard-working taxpayers who’re struggling to make ends meet are pressured to finance individuals who needs to be paying their very own method, however as a substitute are allowed to lie and cheat their method into free all the things,” Shortsleeve stated.

The EOHLC spokesperson stated all instances just like the one NBC10 highlighted are reviewed to see the place program enhancements will be made.

As additional salt within the wound, the service supplier that administered the rental help funds advised Jackson that it mistakenly continued making funds after eradicating Saunders from this system.

Within the midst of not receiving lease for months and attempting to evict her tenant, the owner was additionally knowledgeable she must repay $6,000 in funds.

After the NBC10 Investigators inquired in regards to the state of affairs, the state company advised us Jackson wouldn’t be required to refund the misguided funds.

Schrier, the longtime lawyer, questioned if Jackson’s ordeal will result in any adjustments.

“God solely gave you two cheeks. He didn’t offer you six cheeks,” Schrier stated. “What number of instances do you need to flip the opposite cheek? (Saunders) has taken benefit of those program over and again and again.”