Norwood Housing Authority Overhauls Waiting List and Advances Shattuck School Redevelopment Project-August 21, 1978

Applicants for public housing for the elderly in Norwood will soon gain a much clearer understanding of their placement as the Norwood Housing Authority (NHA) finalizes a comprehensive revision of its extensive waiting list. Encompassing records accumulated over the past decade, the updated inventory is expected to trim the bloated roster from approximately 450 names down to roughly 300 active candidates, providing a realistic picture of housing timelines in a community where only about 20 vacancies occur annually.

NHA Chairman Edmund R. “Ozzie” McGrath emphasized that the board evaluates applicants strictly in chronological order, barring extenuating emergency circumstances. To protect personal privacy while ensuring transparency, the revised ledger identifies candidates exclusively by assigned control numbers rather than names, allowing applicants to track their progression toward vacancies at Nahatan Village or Adams Street.

Much of the arduous sifting process was spearheaded by NHA Vice Chairman Phyllis A. McDonough, a local school teacher who volunteered her summer vacation to audit records. Approximately six weeks prior, notification letters were mailed out, resulting in about 150 non-responses due to outdated addresses, relocations, nursing home placements, or passings. To ensure no active candidate is inadvertently dropped, the authority published newspaper notices and conducted follow-up telephone calls. While surviving applicants trace their initial sign-ups as far back as 1968 and 1969, the vast majority enrolled during the 1970s. McDonough noted that the state mandates biennial list updates, and McGrath highlighted a recent Department of Community Affairs advisory confirming that local authorities possess the legal right to prioritize Norwood residents over out-of-town applicants.

Simultaneously, housing officials provided an update on the long-awaited Shattuck School redevelopment project, which will transform the historic building into 17 apartments and add new construction units to total 72 apartments across a 3.5-acre site at Nahatan and Fulton streets. Although previously delayed, McGrath expressed optimism that a construction contract will be awarded by September 30, with groundbreaking slated for October following town meeting approval originally secured in January 1977. Recent site plan modifications involving the repositioning of buildings containing 55 of the units prompted a scheduled public review before the zoning appeals board, though officials hope technical adjustments will not necessitate formal re-approval.

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