Woman laments area’s housing picture
Essex resident struggles to stay on Cape Ann
By Stephen Hagan | Staff Writer Feb 5, 2025
She has been forced to move 12 times in the last 14 years.
But Alyssa Craigen of Essex is undaunted in her search for housing. She is motivated by the responsibilities of being a single parent to her three children, ages 16, 20 and 21.
After her husband left her several years ago, Craigen quickly placed her name on waitlists for affordable housing in Hamilton, Gloucester, Essex, Wenham, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rowley, Danvers and Ipswich.
Craigen is still waiting.
“That means that I have been on housing waitlists for the last 14 years,” Craigen said. “I’ve checked back weekly and they always tell me, ‘no, no, no.’ It has been infuriating. I call and I don’t get anywhere.”
Craigen said she needs about $10,000 to secure a lease, which would pay for the first and last month’s rent, as well as a security deposit.
It is money Craigen doesn’t have.
“I am living in Essex currently with my three children and I have to move again,” she said. “I cannot afford the rent. Of course, by now I figured I would be in some sort of housing situation. It’s awful. It’s the worst. I can’t move forward because there’s always that black cloud of what’s next.”
Worried about future
Craigen said her many attempts to solve her housing situation have been unsuccessful. The Essex home where she and her children are living is close to being torn down by the owner.
For now, Craigen said she is coping the best way she can.
“I literally don’t have anywhere to go,” she said. “As you can imagine, I am quite stressed and worried about what is to come next. Homelessness is not out of the question in the near future for me and my family.”
The Essex woman’s income does not pay all of her bills. She works as a hairdresser — “I love my job,” Craigen said — in a number of shops in Gloucester and Essex.
She said she has received food stamps in the past, but the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recently ended her assistance. Both her mother and father have offered financial support.
“I can’t afford $3,000 or $4,000 rents,” Craigen said. “I know a lot of single parents are in the same situation. I don’t want to be homeless at all.”
Challenges for seekers
Sunny Robinson, a longtime housing advocate and a member of Housing4All Gloucester, said several challenges are faced by those like Craigen seeking affordable housing in the area.
The reality is little housing is actually available in the area and what is available is “very expensive,” Robinson said.
Erin George, division director of program services for Action Inc., echoed Robinson.
“We have a severe lack of housing in our area,” she said. “We simply do not have enough.”
The prospect of coming up with first and last month’s rent as well as a security deposit to secure an apartment is prohibitive for some, Robinson said.
“If you are a person who lives on a modest income, you still need thousands to find a place,” she said. “The waiting lists are very long. Every time you enter the housing market, you have the same set of obstacles.”
Help is out there
As helpful as the services of housing organizations like Action Inc. and the Gloucester Housing Authority are, “they can’t manufacture apartments out of thin air,” Robinson said.
“The best advice is to fill out all the applications if you are eligible for subsidized housing,” she said. “Make sure you fill out the applications for low-income housing.”
Housing4All Gloucester, www.housing4allgloucester.org/, has resources for those seeking affordable housing, including a glossary of affordable housing terms, area contacts and hints for finding affordable housing.
Larry Oaks, president of the Newton-based Mainstay Supportive Housing and Homecare, pointed to a relatively new state-backed website, www.housingnavigatorma.org, that is specific to Massachusetts housing needs.
“Its purpose is to help people find affordable housing,” he said. “Most people don’t know about it.”
He also suggested those seeking affordable housing go to the website www.affordablehousing.com.
Legal assistance might be necessary for those possibly facing being turned out of their homes, said Oaks, chairperson of the Gloucester Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
“For any person facing eviction it’s important to remember that Massachusetts is a tenant-friendly state,” he said. “My first advice is to seek legal advice when a family is facing eviction. Don’t go it alone.”
What’s needed
In the meantime, Robinson said housing advocates need to encourage developers to provide more affordable housing units and make sure local affordable housing trusts are fully funded. In addition, she suggested urging government officials to support affordable housing initiatives.
“We need to keep after the governor and the Legislature to make sure money is available for good developers to build housing,” Robinson said.
George suggested that housing initiatives, such as the MBTA Communities Act, are needed. The measure requires cities and towns served by the MBTA establish “at least one district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right.” Where possible, the district must be within a half-mile from public transportation — commuter rail, bus station, ferry terminal or subway.
While the initiative is well intended, George said it’s not a panacea.
“There is such a need for housing and there simply aren’t enough rental units out there,” she said. “We haven’t been able to keep up with the need we have for housing.”
Squeaky wheel
Craigen thought twice about going public with her plight, but realized she had to speak up.
“If I don’t do anything, then nothing is going to happen,” Craigen said. “I don’t want to stir the pot and blame people. But my goal is to make it easier for people to find housing. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. You have to advocate for yourself and your family.”
Craigen’s e-mail address, which she wanted to share, is [email protected].
Stephen Hagan may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or [email protected].