Resident urges against reappointing tenant representative to Salem Housing Authority; council reappoints Veronica Miranda

During public testimony on Sept. 25 a resident from the Salem Housing Authority’s Bertram Terrace urged the City Council not to reappoint Veronica Miranda as the tenant representative to the Salem Housing Authority (SHA) board. The speaker said 67% of SHA units are senior units and that seniors lack voice on the board; she also said applicants who applied for a tenant seat received no response from the mayor’s office when applications were solicited.

Council members debated whether to hold Miranda’s reappointment for further inquiry. Councilor Jerslow moved to hold the reappointment to request explanations from the mayor about applicant outreach and senior representation; the motion received no second. Several councilors, including Councilor Watsonfeld and Councilor Cohen, then spoke in favor of confirming Miranda, saying she has been an active tenant representative. Councilor Cohen said Miranda has “fought harder for tenants than anyone” he had observed.

A roll call confirmed the reappointments on Sept. 25 with 11 yeas and 1 nay; Councilor Jerslow recorded the lone “no” on the reappointments held from the prior meeting. Council discussion included calls for better mayoral outreach to applicants and consideration of adding more tenant seats to reflect a majority‑senior housing stock.

Why this matters: The Salem Housing Authority board oversees public housing policies and tenant representation on the board affects how resident concerns are elevated. Residents asked for more senior representation and responsive appointment procedures.

Details: The resident testimony noted several applicants had applied for the tenant representative slot but did not receive follow‑up from the mayor’s office. Councilors urged the mayor to consider opening the SHA charter or otherwise increasing tenant representation to better reflect the tenant population.

Next steps: The council confirmed Miranda and other reappointments; members urged the mayor’s office to improve recruitment and communication with applicants for voluntary boards and to consider additional tenant representation on the SHA board.