Springfield Housing Authority

The Springfield Housing Authority [SHA], Massachusetts' third largest housing authority, was established in 1946 after dissolution of the Springfield Defense Housing Committee which was instituted to manage war housing projects located at the present-day Carpe Diem and Riverview housing sites.

At that time, the SHA took over management of a total of 492 temporary and permanent war housing units. In 1948, the SHA broke ground on its first public housing development to provide safe, decent, sanitary housing for persons of low-income. On November 10, 1949, Reed Village reached full occupancy.

Today, the SHA has a total of 2,387 traditional public housing units located at twenty-seven sites throughout the city, over 200 Massachusetts Rental Vouchers and over 2,400 Housing Choice Vouchers. A $33 million annual budget is derived from rental income and funding from the Department of Housing and Community Development [DHCD] and Housing and Urban Development [HUD].

The SHA is governed by a five member Board of Commissioners. Four of the members are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Springfield and confirmed by the City Council and one member is appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts. One of the members is required to be an SHA tenant. The SHA Executive Director reports directly to the Board of Commissioners and is responsible for the management and operation of the agency and its personnel.

The SHA operates with a staff of over 120 full and part time employees in the following divisions: Executive, Finance, Housing Management, Resident Services, Procurement, Modernization and Public Safety. The staff also consists of temporary employees hired through partnerships established with Roger L. Putnam Vocational/Technical High School, Massachusetts Career Development Institute, Hampden County House of Correction and the City of Springfield's Department of Elder Affairs.