{"url":"https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/central_berkshires/terrace-592-dirty-conditions-pittsfield/article_ab515e4e-2d2b-407e-ae5e-b4abc90d02c2.html","title":"Terrace 592 tenants fear outsiders in trashed common areas","domain":"berkshireeagle.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/30696640/pexels-photo-30696640.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"trashed apartment common area","category":"Other","language":"en","slug":"4bd466d4","id":"4bd466d4-3ac8-41a2-85b7-6f4e328b5d63","description":"Tenants at Pittsfield's Terrace 592 report outsiders trespassing in common areas, leaving trash and making spaces unsafe.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Tenants at Pittsfield's Terrace 592 report outsiders trespassing in common areas, leaving trash and making spaces unsafe.\n- Building bought by Regan Development Corp. for $900,000 in 2023, renovated for $18.5 million, tenants moved in August.\n- State tenant laws and trespassing limits slow fixes despite police and management efforts.\n\n## The story at a glance\nTenants at Terrace 592 affordable housing in Pittsfield say outsiders are entering stairwells and hallways, leaving piles of clothing, food wrappers, a cup of yellow liquid, and plastic baggies. Building owners, **Regan Development Corp.**, and managers at nonprofit **Hearthway** face legal hurdles from strong Massachusetts tenant protections that complicate evictions and quick action. This is being reported now as conditions echo the site's troubled past after a 2017 fire, with tenants questioning if they want to stay. The property was vacant and a spot for homeless people and trespassers until its recent $18.5 million conversion.\n\n## Key points\n- Common areas show mess from non-residents: clothing, food wrappers, pungent yellow liquid, discarded plastic baggies at stairwell tops.\n- Tenants feel uncomfortable and unsafe, with some fearing for their safety and considering leaving.\n- History: 2017 fire left building vacant; back alley then had garbage, ruined clothes, drug paraphernalia, human waste (*Eagle* article, Nov. 10, 2022).\n- **Regan Development Corp.** bought boarded-up property for **$900,000** in 2023; completed **$18.5 million** affordable housing project eight months ago.\n- **Hearthway** manages the property but has limited options due to Massachusetts tenant laws that make evictions take years.\n- Police and management are working on a plan, but upgraded security takes time and trespassing enforcement is legally complex.\n\n## Details and context\nThe problems root in the building's past as a vacant spot after the 2017 fire, when it drew homeless people and unlawful entrants, creating hazardous conditions like drug paraphernalia and human waste in the alley.\n\nNow, after renovation into affordable housing, similar issues have returned, with tenants blaming outsiders possibly let in by some residents—though managers say addressing that is legally tricky under state protections.\n\nTenant anger targets **Hearthway**, but evictions are slow, and physical upgrades like better security aren't instant fixes.\n\n## Key quotes\nNone.\n\n## Why it matters\nAffordable housing projects face ongoing challenges balancing tenant safety with strong legal protections against quick evictions. Tenants endure unsafe common spaces that could drive them out, while managers struggle with slow enforcement against trespassers. Watch for police-management plans and security upgrades, though timelines remain uncertain due to legal limits.","hashtags":["#housing","#affordable","#pittsfield","#trespassing","#safety","#massachusetts"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/central_berkshires/terrace-592-dirty-conditions-pittsfield/article_ab515e4e-2d2b-407e-ae5e-b4abc90d02c2.html","title":"Original article"}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-08T01:00:36.463Z"}