A win-win decision all around

Winncompanies, the largest operator of affordable housing in Massachusetts, put people before profits by announcing that it won’t evict anyone facing pandemicrelated financial burdens for the rest of this year.

“People are finding tough times for obvious reasons … and everybody wants the economy to rebound… (but) it hasn’t happened overnight,” Winndevelopment President and Managing Partner Larry Curtis said in a release announcing the company’s extension of its moratorium on evictions until Dec. 31.

The current law puts evictions and foreclosures on hold for 120 days – midnight on Aug. 18 — or 45 days after Gov. Charlie Baker lifts the COVID-19 state of emergency that began on March 10, whichever comes first.

The governor also has the authority to extend the moratorium indefinitely in increments up to 90 days.

Cambridge Rep. Mike Connolly and Boston Rep. Kevin Honan — co-sponsors of the original moratorium law — filed a bill last week that would extend it for more than one year.

The moratorium prevents landlords from terminating tenancy or sending any notice — including a notice to quit — “requesting or demanding that a tenant … vacate the premises.”

And courts can’t hear eviction cases or enter judgments while these provisions are in effect, nor can sheriffs carry out executions for possession. Winn’s announcement especially hits home in Lowell, which has the highest concentration of Winn properties in the country, including Loft 27 and the Counting House Lofts on Jackson Street, and the Apartments at Boott Mills and Boott Mills West on

John Street – more than 530 units. The company also plans to add a fifth location in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District by 2022.

Winn also owns the Fitchburg Place Apartments and Yarn Works in Fitchburg, which combined account for about another 200 units.

“A lot of people are struggling right now because of COVID, so I think it’s good,” Cathy, a resident at Fitchburg Place, told the newspaper. She said the pandemic forced several residents to choose between rent and food for the month, and Winncompanies’ decision should put a lot of minds at rest.

To benefit from the pause on evictions, residents must meet the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development’s COVID-19 guidelines.

The moratorium is intended to help those who “demonstrate a good faith effort to meet their obligations,” according to the Winn release. It will not apply to those in violation of a lease for other reasons, such as criminal behavior or violence.

Winn’s decision not only elevates its already lofty reputation in affordable-housing circles, it makes sound business sense.

The money and adverse publicity involved in initiating large-scale evictions would be a steep price to pay in this COVID-19 environment, which separated hardworking tenants from their jobs through no fault of their own.

And keeping previously up-to-date tenants in place would seem a better alternative than removing them, since those individuals constitute the market for that type of housing.

What’s required now is an infusion of state and federal aid to bridge the financial gap low-income families face – like the recently announced $20 million Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program to assist Massachusetts households.

We haven’t always agreed with Winn’s housing vision for Lowell, particularly in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District.

But no one can dispute its commitment to the low-income and working people in Gateway Cities like Lowell and Fitchburg.

And its extension on evictions shines a light on its dual role as both a business and neighbor.