Judge OK’s Housing Authority Eviction

A New Haven judge ruled to evict an elderly woman with disabilities from her public-housing home of four years, citing her failure to comply with multiple repayment plans after falling thousands of dollars behind on rent.

The case came before state Superior Court Judge Alayna Stone in New Haven’s housing court on July 3.

Since August 2021, Madeline, the first name of the tenant facing eviction, has lived at 360 Orange St., a mixed-income apartment building that primarily serves people who are low-income, elderly, and/or disabled. The 150-unit complex is owned by an affiliate of the Glendower Group, the development arm of the city’s public housing authority.

According to her August 2021 lease, Madeline receives rental assistance under the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program — Section 8 subsidies tied to a specific apartment — and pays $228 in rent, which was calculated as a function of her income. 

In July 2024, the Glendower Group filed to evict Madeline due to an arrearage of over $7,316. The parties agreed to a stipulation in September 2024 that would allow Madeline to pay down her debt through eviction prevention funds (EPF) from the state’s Department of Housing, as well as several $50 monthly payments. She was also required to continue paying her rent, which was $273 in October 2024.

After Madeline failed to make payments in December 2024, the Glendower Group again moved forward to evict her. In February, they agreed to another stipulation: Madeline would pay a reduced arrearage of $1,500 in $75 monthly installments, and her rent would be lowered to $246.

Last Thursday, the Glendower Group returned to the third-floor courtroom at 121 Elm St. to ask Judge Stone to allow for an eviction. This time, the landlord declined to enter another stipulation. 

“Regardless of the reason, there’s been zero compliance,” the landlord’s attorney said. ​“My client has no reason to believe that they’re going to get paid,” and they want to ​“move on” to a tenant more likely to make payments. 

Elizabeth Rosenthal, an attorney with New Haven Legal Assistance Association, represented the tenant. On Thursday, she opposed the eviction on equitable grounds, arguing that Madeline deserves to stay in her home.

“[Madeline] is the victim of unfortunate circumstances,” Rosenthal told the court. A month after the first stipulation was signed in September 2024, she said, Madeline’s bag, containing her keys and bank card, was stolen. Because of the onerous requirements for acquiring new identification, she did not receive a new ID until March. Once she resumed control of her bank account, she discovered that her live-in aide had stolen money from her and then immediately kicked him out.

“She should have a chance to get herself back on a stip,” Rosenthal insisted. 

Madeline was in the courtroom with Rosenthal on Thursday. She answered questions about her health concerns, which include narcolepsy and arthritis, and Rosenthal repeated Madeline’s answers so the courtroom could understand her.

In her May 29 objection to the eviction, Rosenthal wrote, ​“This is the only safe, decent housing that [Madeline] can afford. She should not lose her home over a few hundred dollars, which she can repay.” She added that Madeline had received $8,000 from rental assistance programs.

During Thursday’s court proceeding, Rosenthal proposed that Madeline pay $1,365 by the end of July. The landlord’s attorney objected, noting that the original arrearage had exceeded $7,000 and was only reduced by the prior stipulations based on the expectation that payments would be made.

After hearing arguments on both sides, Stone granted the eviction.

“It would not be fair and equitable to the plaintiff,” she ruled, ​“given what appears to be a nebulous plan to pay and get current [with rent].”

While Madeline has not yet been removed from her apartment, the Glendower Group has completed some of the paperwork necessary to execute the eviction.