When receiving is taking

Vanessa Rosa, assistant professor of Latino/a Studies at Mount Holyoke, and students reveal fatal flaws in Springfield receivership program.

A state program to fight the blight of neglected properties is under scrutiny for failing to protect homeowners鈥 rights. The program, called 鈥渞eceivership,鈥 allows the government to appoint a receiver to neglected properties to bring them up to code. After repairs are done, the properties are supposed to be returned to the property owner for the cost of repairs. 

However, the program is under scrutiny in light of growing concerns that it is enabling businesses to take over properties at bargain prices, . 

In fact, Vanessa Rosa, Class of 1929 Dr. Virginia Apgar Assistant Professor of Latina/o Studies, and her students revealed that more than half the homes in the program in Springfield are scooped up by receivers when the original owners are unable to repay repair costs that some say are inflated.

鈥淭hese are people鈥檚 homes, and their whole lives are being destroyed as a result of this policy,鈥 said Rosa. 鈥淧eople should know what鈥檚 happening, because it鈥檚 not right.鈥

.