Mother of Four Faces Imminent Eviction Amid Severe Local Housing Shortage-July 24, 1980

On July 24, 1980, The Patriot Ledger reported on the dire plight of Janet Duncan, a 30-year-old local mother facing imminent eviction from her rented home at 33 Cross Street with nowhere to go. Set to be forced out the following Thursday after landlord Abraham Shagoury of Nottingham Drive obtained a court order to sell the property, Janet Duncan shared that her two-month housing search had hit a brick wall.

Despite earning a steady paycheck as an assembler at the Polaroid plant in Norwood—taking home $138 a week alongside $122 a month in state aid from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and $39 in food stamps—she found that prospective landlords repeatedly slammed doors in her face simply because she has four children: Stacey (9), Corey (7), Jamie (3), and Timothy (18 months).

The family’s housing crisis is compounded by severe medical challenges. Two of her children require regular treatments for hip ailments at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Jamie is being treated for a bone condition known as tibia torsion, and toddler Timothy has already been hospitalized fourteen times for persistent respiratory issues.

Although Town Manager John J. Carroll confirmed that Janet Duncan is an honest, hardworking resident who pays her bills on time, public housing has no vacancies, and state welfare agencies were unable to secure placement. With her parents’ home in Dedham lacking sufficient space, Janet Duncan expressed dread over the prospect of having to seek emergency shelter at the police station.

Desperate for a solution, she appealed to the community, asking anyone with a two- or three-bedroom rental property to contact her directly at 769-4325, noting she is more than willing to perform any necessary home repairs herself.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger