Rep. Diana DiZoglio.
The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing has advanced legislation, filed by state Rep. Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen), to create a task force to improve the safety of elderly and disabled persons living in public housing.
In January of last year, three North Andover seniors, Walter Hamilton, 78, George Kettinger Jr., 79, and Francis Kort, 68, were murdered in their public housing complex at Foulds Terrace. In response to the tragedy, at the beginning of the legislative session, DiZoglio filed legislation, House Bill 1094, An Act establishing a task force on elderly and disabled persons residing in public housing.
The task force outlined in the legislation would advise the secretaries of Housing and Economic Development and Health and Human Services on best practices to ensure the safety and welfare of the elderly and disabled in public housing, including investigating efforts to maximize overall facility and individual apartment safety and security.
DiZoglio’s bill received endorsements from the North Andover and Haverhill Housing Authorities, as well as Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, which presented testimony at the legislation’s public hearing held last summer before the committee.
“This legislation marks the first step in what I hope to be a forceful, comprehensive effort by citizens, not only in North Andover but across the Commonwealth, to protect our seniors and disabled persons residing in public housing,” said DiZoglio. “We can and must do better to protect the safety and welfare of this vulnerable population and I look forward to advocating over the days and weeks to come in further advancing this bill.”
“I am very pleased to see Rep. DiZoglio’s hard working in sponsoring in crafting this bill move to an important next step,” said Rosanne DiStefano, executive director of Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley. “The representative took a thoughtful approach and spent countless hours in meeting with constituents. We all need to ensure that the sad and unfortunate incident that occurred in North Andover doesn’t happen again anywhere and this task force is the first step to get to this peace of mind.”
“This can be an easy issue to overlook when it’s not in the news anymore, but thanks to Rep. DiZoglio, our residents will be much safer and have the peace of mind that comes from feeling much safer in their homes,” said Joseph A. Hart, executive director, Haverhill Housing Authority.
“to protect our seniors and disabled persons residing in public housing” –
It could easily be funded without burdening The People if Beacon Hill would stop putting illegal invaders ahead of Americans in Massachusetts.
And what is this “TASK FORCE” is supposed to accomplish? Everyone already knows they should not abuse people in Senior Housing. This appears to be just another way to glorify DiZoglio. She needs to spend more time on issues that will DO SOMETHING!